


Irish Eyes

by EverBetter



Category: Chronicles of Riddick Series, Pitch Black (2000)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-22
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2017-12-06 03:34:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 40,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/731029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverBetter/pseuds/EverBetter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cara McManus is just trying to get by. Life is hard, so she does what she's best at. She kills for money, steals for money, it's hard but fun work really. But when she steals from the wrong man he seems to have a major hard on for her capture. When she sees no other option she runs off world. A new planet sounds nice, new friends, new people to kill, maybe even a home. She finds the Hunter Gratzner with her new world already aboard.-- Cara's POV more often than not. Feel free to write me, been editing as I go but if you see anything truly bad please tell me.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Irish Eyes

Chapter One

Cryo-Sleep is supposed to put you into a medicated coma, but without the constant flow of meds one can theoretically wake up within an hour or so. While in the Cryo-sleep you’re not meant to be able to dream or to think, you’re a fucking vegetable. She hated Cryo because she could dream, she could dream the most awful things and not be able to wake herself up. On this particular trip all she could think of were the events this lead her to this piece of shite barge.  
~  
Cara finished cracking her knuckles as she stared at the opposite roof of the one she stood on. It was about six feet of empty space between the edges of the two six story buildings, with barbed wire on the opposite to prevent people from doing what she was about to attempt. She felt the trepidation slid down her spine as she ground her feet into the roof for more traction. “Okay… okay, okay.” Her voice was more of a rush of air from her lungs as she sprinted at the edge.

The constant banging at the metal roof access door only added speed to her mad dash. One, two, three crashes later and she was in the air as the men burst onto the roof yelling profanities at her. Guess they didn’t take to kindly to being robbed blind.

She flew through the air and every bone in her body felt that moment of perfect balance, the moment she understood that she would land perfectly clearing the barbed wire. She smiled and she commando rolled up into a perfect running position and sprinted across the roof to the very edge. Without stopping she slowed and jumped forward, her hands landing on the very edge of the building. She paused poised in a perfect hand stand on the edge of the height, then twirled around on one hand and let her body fall over the edge. She curled her body down, her belly hitting the brick a bit harder than necessary. She was barely hanging on with her fingers. Gun fire rang out and she glanced around for her next option. Her cheek scraped against the rough brick and mortar of the building as her ice blue eyes fluttered about. Bullets bit into the wall she hung off of but luckily they didn’t make it through the wall into her soft body.

There was a fire escape seven feet to her left and she quickly used her feet to balance herself as she made her way to it. She worked her way over using her finger tips to grip the wall and like an inch worm walked her hands one over the other until she dangled over the escape. She examined it before placing her weight onto it. She heard a grunt from above and realized at least one of the men had made it. Instead of climbing down the fire escape she forced the nearest window open. She grits her teeth as years of grim and dirt made it stick. She got it open with little noise and dived into the decrypted apartment just as she heard the footsteps coming close to the edge. She flipped her hair back from her face and stared at the window, ready to defend if she needed. She stilled as she waited for the brute to do something.

“Oi! She’s gone. Just fucking jumped over the edge like it was nothing’!” There was some crunching as he paced, “Check the streets, ain’t nobody down there. She gotta be somewhere.” 

The young women glanced around quickly and snagged a rough looking jacket from the almost empty apartment. The wooden floors were warped beyond repair and she was certain the building had been condemned and this was a homeless man’s squat for the month. If the stench of the coat wasn’t enough to convince, the bundle of cloth that was a man curled up on a blanket in the corner was. She padded completely silent past him and his drunken stupor and exited the room, snagging his bottle of whiskey as an afterthought. She trotted down the stairs to the base floor and glanced out at the street.

Angry looking men were prowling the streets looking for her. All wore dark jackets with the red emblem identifying them as members of the Red Book Gang. Bollocks. Her eyes glared at the red patched wondering up and down the street.

She took a swig of the whiskey trying not to think of all the germs. She closed the jacket completely concealing her figure all the way down to her knees. She grabbed some dirt off the ground and rubbed it all over her face and flipped up the hood of the nasty jacket hoping the man didn’t have lice. She spilled some of the liquid down her front and slipped into the crowd. Blending in completely with the other low lives of the area, not that it was too difficult. She walked closely to two other homeless men pushing a cart down the street. The bodyguards never even glanced her way. She smiled and trotted off to a nearby alley and disappeared into the shadows.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

By the time she was across the city to her partner's pawn shop her communication device was vibrating every two minutes. She was made, a hit had been placed on her head and she felt the butterflies in her stomach start-up. What the bloody hell was on that fucking chip? She pulled out the said chip and looked it over. It was nothing special looking, nothing she was willing to bloody die over. It should have been a regular old crack the safe, grab the goods, and run for it job, easy for a woman of her skills. But the bloody hit after the job was a new one.

"Danny's Pawn Shop" was located closely to the shipping yard, a perfect site for new on-worlders to get cash for foreign goods fast. But he was so much more than that. Danny was Cara's direct link to the underground black markets. He made the deals, Cara got the goods, and the payout was always big. By the time Cara made it to Danny's little crap shack her communicator told her the hit on her was paying half a million credits if she was dead and a full million credits if she was alive. That forced her to pause. Everyone and their mother would be gunning for her if this was true. She glared at the chip again and placed in inside her bra for safe keeping.

A call came through and she picked up the vibrating communicator. She slipped into her slum accent, "Speak." It was Shawn. He handler for her contract kills. A girl’s gotta have up to six jobs to make it on her own out here on this slum planet, not to mention it was fun.

Shawn had the voice of a chain smoker, "New hot off the presses demand. Called in by the Big Boss man himself. They called in The Crow herself on this one mate. One full million credits if it's done fast. But there's a catch. For the mill the little chica has to be alive, dead she's only worth half." The Big Boss? Charlie called this in himself. He owned fucking half the planet and the Red Book Gang was his low level enforcers. She stole from him? Danny was gonna be lucky if she only took one of his balls for not informing her.

She I felt my stomach drop. Shawn didn't know anything about her real life. All he knew was The Crow. A Female contract killer that's good. Very good. In and out with no fuss, if you got the credit for it. "Nam'." She snapped already knowing.

"A high profile thief by the name of Cara McManus." He coughed as he spoke.

"Put out th' word, this is Th' Crow's hunt. Trashin' tis phone." She hung up without any more. At least that might take some of the assassins off her tail for now, maybe some Mercs on this planet. But shite, she so fucking going to find herself in a bloody slam or worse… in Charlie's hands. She ducked behind the pawn shop and knelt at the back door. The lock picks she kept in her hollowed out boot heal made quick work of the locked door and she let herself into the back storage room. Should probably have that’ fixed old Danny boy’o.

She sat in the near darkness and let her ice blue eyes adjust. Cara turned her head to the side as if hearing something. And she was.

"I don't know where the hell she is! The bitch should have been back long ago." It was Danny's voice. Cara crept into the front room the back door hidden by all the shit he had in the shop. He was speaking to two men who had their backs to her. Danny was behind the counter and was rummaging through a big black bag. "But just so you know she's a fast little minx, the second she shows I can't be held accountable if she escapes, the deal was I get her here at this time and place. Not if you could capture her. Ya hear?"

"Oh of course sir. Our boss just wants all the loose ends tied up nicely. We can't thank you enough for giving us the information. All out to the kindness of your heart." As he spoke she watched him pull a gun out of his suite jacket and shoot Danny in the face. He body flung back onto the chair and Cara had to stop from crying out, even if he betrayed her they just got blood all over the Original Earth's Persian Rug behind Danny, it was easily worth a few million cred. She watched his body in the middle of its death twitches and then refocused on the men.

Both still had their backs to her so when she pulled her dagger from her boot and crept up behind the man with the gun drawn neither twitched. At least until her dagger found its way across his throat causing him to gurgle a little and blood began to flow. The other suit went for his gun but Cara already had hers drawn and pointed up, square in-between his eyes. She felt her anger rise at the situation and how she would have to run now… again. Her natural-born accent came out when she was upset. "Now lis'en hear boy’o, I'm gonna ask ye this once. Who sent ye'?" Her accent had been picked up from many places but mostly from a man who helped raise her, he had originated from Earth itself, someplace called the Republic of Ireland. 

The suit watched the girl wirily. She was only twenty at the very most and very petite but her eyes held a lot of violence in. Her hair was pitch black and had thick waves that should have made her look feminine but he thought it looked more like a wild mane that made her ice blue eyes glow all the more. He swallowed as his looked her up and down trying to calculate his chances of survival; she could have anything under that big jacket. Her leg flew out and caught him in the balls. He cried out and collapsed to his knees. His eyes were level with her lips and he could see the little manic grin cross her face. His eyes widened at the completely unhinged expression on her pretty face. He was going to die and he knew it.

"Please!" he gasped out.

"Wrong’ answer’." She braced herself and went to pull the trigger.

"D…Donovan! It was Donovan. I don't know what you took but he was gonna take it from you and kill you and then I think he was planning on blackmailing Charlie."

She paused. Donovan was the other big bad on this planet. He probably picked Cara thinking she would be more than complacent since she worked with him before. She frowned at the man kneeling before her, while she normally enjoyed it when men submitted to her, she had to stick with her original statement.

"Is tha' his money?" She jerked her head toward the black bag Danny had been fondling. The suit nodded and she smiled evilly. "Thanks'." she shot him in between the eyes. His body arched back and landed with a resounding ‘thunk’. She didn’t have to worry about the government officials showing up to soon, they always dragged their heals when it came to this city.

Cara flicked the hair out of her eyes and holstered her gun. She shrugged out of the gross jacket and left it were it fell as she stalked over to Danny. "You deserved so much worse than what ye got’." She said staring at his mutilated face. She smiled down at him, "Catch ye latter Danny boy’o." She picked up the black bag and glanced inside. She snorted "Ten thousand? So tha' how much me' life is." She headed out the front door stealing Danny's winter jacket on the way out.  
~  
Cara grunted as she was violently thrust forward smacking her head hard enough that she snapped out of the Cryo- locker. She yelped as she landed hard on her left arm awkwardly. The high pitched beeping noise and the flashing red light informed her that there was something wrong with the ship. Something very wrong. A loud roaring noise picked up in pitch. Her hair flew all around her, what the hell!? Why was there wind is space?! She felt panic flutter in the pit of her stomach.

She glanced around just in time to see another passenger drop out of his Cryo-locker. He stumbled trying to stand but his attention was focused on another passenger in his cryo-locker still. Cara saw the man's hands tied in front of him and a bit in his mouth. Her mind read the words "LOCK-OUT PROTOCOL IN EFFECT. ABSOLUTELY NO EARLY RELEASE". She glanced around at the other chambers as everyone was beginning to stir.

Cara stumbled over to one of the support beams and just before she got there a huge jostle launched her at the metal beam. Jesus they were crashing. She latched onto the support beam and turned in time to see the other passenger out of his tank take her lead and grab on as well. The back portion of the ship was ripped away as they continued to plummet to the ground. They slammed hard and Cara let out a yelp holding onto the beam for dear life. The ship grinded against the ground, Cryo-lockers were ripped from there mounts as if they weren't even mounted, and there was a loud crashing noise from the front. She saw a chair getting launched through a wall and then all the walls came crashing down. She felt the scream caught in her throat and her arms were getting tired. It seemed like forever before they finally skidded to a stop. Almost instantly they were surrounded by dust, it found its way into the chamber and she started to cough because she couldn't breathe. She finally opened her eyes to see the dust and nothing else.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three  
Cara heard the popping as the other Cryo-lockers opened and almost instantly people started to yell to each other. She stopped hugging the metal beam so tightly sure she would have bruises in a short while. A jagged sheet of metal was two inches from her back. Cara swallowed as she realized she could have been cut in half. She walked around it in time to see the bound man fall from his chamber. She froze as she watched him stand as if he had never been in the crash, he was completely calm. 

He was huge, if she were to stand next to him she would only make it up to his shoulders and that was saying if she stood up straight and possibly on her tippy toes. He rolled his shoulders and she saw that he was built of pure muscle. This was one man she would hope she would never have to kill, else she would use a sniper rifle from very far far far away. If they were in close combat there was no way she could win.  
She swallowed hard again dust still caught in her throat and his head jerked toward her. She took a step forward. "Are ye alright?" She took a cautious step forward. She couldn't see much of his face, the blindfold covered half his face and the bit in his mouth was so tight it distorted his features. His head was bald and clean-shaven. The more she stared at him the more curious she got, which was the reason she got into theft in the first place, that damn curiosity. She always had to know what other people had.

There was a loud crash from behind her and she jumped around to see what it was. A man threw a piece of metal off his legs and rolled to his feet. He glared at her for a second and she couldn't help but notice his crazy blue eyes. Something was off though. His gaze went past her and hardened, he had the eyes of a hunter. Cara saw him reach for a gun but his holster was empty. Her own hand twitched toward her own weapons but she stayed her hand, still in Danny's coat her weapons were hidden. She wanted to keep it that way, for now at least.

"Where did he go!?" He surged forward and inspected the empty Cryo-locker the bigger man had stepped out of.

"H…He was there jus' a secon' ago." Cara stammered. He was a Merc. His name tag on his chest plate read Johns and his clothing said ‘cop’ but Cara knew a Merc when she saw one. He ignored her as he headed deeper into the bowls of the wreckage.

She turned moved toward the voices echoing back to her. She saw a women with a blow torch cutting another passenger out of a cryo-locker and a man grunting as he ripped it open. The women possessed a dark beauty with long curly hair and a proud nose. She was confident in her ability with the torch and the man standing beside her spoke of a long time partnership.

The door fell open and out rolled a teenage boy. "Somethin' went wrong huh?" Before Cara could hear the response she heard a ruckus coming from below, her sensitive ears picking out the reverberations throughout the metal ship.

She walked back the way she originated from and found an opening in the floor. She crouched and watched as the large man hung from the roof support beams and choked the Merc with the shackles around his ankles. Johns is beating the convict with a steel baton but still could not break free. Cara watches without any emotion, either way this goes she's not worried. Johns begins to lose consciousness and it looks as if the convict will kill him, until the convict loses his hold on the beam he was clutching to. As he falls for a second Cara feels his eyes upon her but then she can't be sure because he just knocked himself out cold by slamming himself head first into the metallic floor. She winced at the sharp sound and Johns stumbles onto his feet rubbing his neck.

Johns crouches over the convict, "One chance and you blew it, Riddick. One of these days someone's gonna get hurt and it ain't gonna be me."

Cara stood and walked back towards the others. So his name is Riddick. Cara smiles a little to herself. It soon fades as she finds everyone is surrounding a man strapped to a chair with a piece of metal through his chest.

Everyone around her starts shouting, but Cara already knows he's as good as dead.

"Pull it out of him…"

"No, it's too close to his heart…"

"You gotta do it, just do it fast…"

Cara is the only one to notice Johns coming up behind the group, she is also the only one who keeps her cool in the situation. A blond woman is cradling her crew-mates head "Oh, Owens." He looks pale, close to dying. The Blond goes to grab the rod.

Owens yells out in pain "D…Don't touch it! Fry don't you touch that handle!" His voice is shill and strained.

The women, Fry jerks back and thinks for a moment while the others start-up again, "You'll kill him, I'm tellin' you, shit, just leave it alone..."

"…delirious..."

"Doncha you got some drugs for the poor man..."

Fry latches onto the last suggestion "Alright, alright, someone...there's Anestaphine in the med-lock, that end of the cabin."

The crowd looks around behind them, there's nothing "Not anymore there's not." One of the men with a cultured accent stated.

Grimly Fry looks down at her crew mate and friend. "Get out of here. Everyone." Her voice is soft and grim as she cradles Owen's head. Nearly everyone leaves but Cara merely steps back into the shadows knowing no one sees her there. Johns hesitates and Fry just shakes her head using her hair as a shield, "Get outta here." He walks as Owen is caught in his death throes. Slowly his breath begins to slow and Cara watches as Fry begins to cry. Holding him close in her lap. Cara can't help but approve the women's desire to hide her tears and weakness.

Cara slips away without Fry even noticing she is too busy grieving. On her way out side she notices Riddick tied up against a bulk head. She walks around him and watches him for any sign of movement. Something tells her he is watching her. Even through the blindfold. Riddick… The name sounded familiar but she couldn't place it. It was probably some dive bar story that she was remembering with a similar name.

She felt sweat drip down her back and she realized she was sweltering in the freaking coat. She unzipped it and threw it into the corner. Not caring if the others saw her weapons now. She just double checked to make sure everything was secure and strapped in. Cara figured she could pass as a Merc for now if anyone asked. She turned to leave but saw Riddick move. It was slight and she wasn't sure he actually moved but his nostrils flared as he scented the room. Cara quickly left the room and didn't notice that Riddick followed her every move by turning his head.

Once outside the heat intensified and she gasped. Cara moved away from the ship hoping to catch any type of wind or breeze in the area. She watched as what seemed to be a priest brushed off his robes and three young boys surrounded him and spoke in hushed tones.

Another two, the dark beauty and her mate, were gazing around themselves and Cara noticed that once in the light she could obviously see they were bushwhackers, the prospector type. Both had tanned skin from working long hours in the sun. Both seemed to be in their early thirties with durable boots and sturdy clothing ready for anything that came their way. Bet they’ never’ saw this, Cara mused.

Another man stood a little ways off stumbling aimlessly. It was the man with the cultured accent. He was overfed, over groomed and entirely too soft looking for Cara. She could eat him up and spit him out. In her mind he became the puff pastry of a man.

Cara's attention was dragged away from the people as she surveyed the world. The stark unforgiving terrain went on for miles. All was bright orange and yellow of the sand. The valley they found themselves in was only broken up by the earthen spires off to one side. She spun and stared at the sky, two suns. Cara turned and climbed the side of the ship until she was high enough to see all around her. She spun in a circle and swore under her breath. Soon she was joined by the rest of the group.

"Hello, my name is Shazza, this is my partner Zeke." The prospector women gestured to her husband.

"I'm Cara." She nodded to them.

"Ello, I'm Paris." The puff pastry nodded his head she did the same.

Then the young scrap of a boy scrambled up and grinned at her. "Jesus would you look at this mess!" He yelled as he examined the train of debris behind us. "Name’s Jack." He grinned up at her even if she was only a few inches taller. "I like you weapons. Can I touch one?"

Before Cara could say anything Johns came out of nowhere, "No." He turned to study her.

Cara didn't like the extra attention so she changed the topic, "Do you think there are any other survivors?" She made sure her face looked worried as she glanced at the wreckage.

Johns sighed and decided to leave it alone, he had enough on his plate with Riddick, "I think I'm grateful even this many of us lived after seeing this." He gestured around him. When Johns though Cara wasn't looking he checked out her ass, her weapons, and her small stature. He licked his bottom lip. She was a cute little thing.

Fry climbed onto the ship behind them and they all turned to her, Jack smiling faintly in support. Paris was the one to break the silence, "Anyone having breathing problems? Aside from me?"

Jack scowled, "Like I just ran or something…"

"One lung short. All of us." Shazza gestured all around.

The puff pastry dramatically came forward "Well, I tend toward the asthmatic. And with all this dust..." he wheezed for emphasis.

Cara slid off the side of the wreckage listening to Fry say "It's the atmosphere. Too much pressure, not enough oxygen. Might take a few days to…"

Zeke spoke up for the first time, Cara paused so she could learn his voice. He had a strange accent, "So what the bloody hell happened, anyways?"

Fry tried to placate him "Somethin' knocked us off-lane. Maybe a rogue comet. Maybe we'll never know."

Shazza pushed her husband off course "Well, I for one, am thoroughly fucking grateful. This beast wasn't made to land like this. But cripes, you rode it down." She turned to the others "C'mon, you lousy ingrates, only reason we're alive is a'cuzza her." The rest of the crew began to thank her but Cara didn't see her reaction.

Cara ducked back into the shade the ship offered and rolled her shoulders trying to think. She hefted herself up onto a beam so she could get off her feet. She closed her eyes and laid back. Soon Fry found her way back into the ship. Cara watched her from the shadows as Fry examined Riddick. Johns came up behind her, "He just escaped from a max prison just a few days ago."

Cara's interest pricked. Escaped from a max prison? I wonder which one...and how?

"So we just keep him locked up forever?" Fry crossed her arms and leaned against the side. Nodded toward the chains.

"Yeah that'd be my choice." Johns came to a stop by her side running his hand over the lower half of his face.

Fry pitched her voice low but again Cara's ears came through, "Is he really that dangerous?"

Johns scoffed, "Only around humans." They both left and Paris ran into them on the way out.

"Oh good, I wanted to see if you would get me into the container? I might have something to drink…" Their voiced faded until Cara couldn't hear them anymore.

Riddick took a rattling breath, louder now that the others were gone. His head turned this way and that. From Cara’s vantage point she saw a flash of silver under his blindfold and her curiosity reared its ugly head again. She refused to move though. Slowly Riddick stood up straighter until he was as tall as he could get and slowly, his arms started moving backwards. His arms remained perfectly straight as they continued to arch back, past the point of pain. His shoulder popped sickeningly, one and then the other. His arms were up and over his head when she finally noticed the break in the beam above him. His chain slide right through it and his shoulders popped back into place. Her stomach clenched. He hopped/fell forward and snagged the blowtorch Shazza must have discarded after cutting Jack out of the Cryo-locker. He ripped the bit from his mouth and began cutting the shackles off.

Once free he stood and glanced around the hull after a few minutes he finds a pair of goggles that were originally stored with the blow torch. He ripped off the blindfold and before Cara could stop herself she gasped. He turned toward her slowly and stared at her. She was perched at eye level on a beam one leg hanging down while the other supported one of her arms. Over all it was a relaxed pose. Not a pose one should have when facing a murder. She turned her head to the side and dropped to the ground silently. She stood before Riddick entranced by his eyes. He raised an eyebrow at her and slipped the goggles onto his head resting them above his silver shining eyes.

He stalked over to her and watched her. He circled her like a shark but she still didn't move, "Not gonna scream for me?"

His voice sent shivers down her back. But damn, if he wasn't one of the sexiest examples of the male species on this freaking planet. "No' the screamin type." She turned her head to watch him. He made no move toward her. She saw a half-smile cross his face when she spoke.

He slid up to Cara's back and placed his mouth close to her ear her hair caressing his handsome face, "To bad, I like screamers." She turned to retort but he was gone. Cara was startled. Not many people could put her on edge but everything about Riddick did.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Cara watched as everyone scrambled around for a weapon. She assumed it was to protect against Riddick but in all honesty they really should just lock all weapons away, Riddick would be able to take it from them like candy from a baby. When Johns came running back with a shotgun everyone noticed how tense he was. Then panic had ensued when he told them Riddick was gone. Basic human reaction was fight or flight. They decided to fight.

Cara watched Paris dig into his collectable weapons. She watched as he walked by with original earth artifacts. Cara’s trained eyes saw they originated from India judging by the carvings in the staff. She felt her fingers twitch. She would have to lift something soon else the urge to do a more dangerous theft would happen.

Cara watches as the Priest, Imam, shared a ceremonial blade with Johns. Imam is reluctant to use it for violence but agrees Riddick is a dangerous man and until they can all “speak with Riddick his character is unknown”.

Zeke and Shazza only have digging tools to offer up, maybe a pick ax. But not much in the ways of real weapons, it's not like they were planning on hunting a dangerous criminal.

Fry watches Paris walk by bristling with weapons "What the hell are these?"

In Cara's mind she says, A hell of a lot of cred. But Paris says, "Maratha crow-bill war-picks from Northern India. Very rare."

Zeke takes one of the weapons from him "An' this?" He holds it up to the light.

"Blow-dart hunting stick from Papua New Guinea. Very very rare, since the tribe's extinct." Paris seems proud to be able to answer at least some questions.

Zeke scoffs "'Cuz they couldn't hunt shit with these things, be my guess."

Paris adjusts the heavy weapons and in a very annoyed voice, "Well, what's the need, anyway? If the man's gone, he's gone. Why should he bother us?"

Seemingly out of nowhere Johns comes out of the shadows "Maybe to take what cha' got. Maybe to work your nerves. Or maybe he'll just come back to skull fuck you in your sleep." He smiles bitterly at everyone as the faces show disgust. Cara just quirks her eyebrow at him, boy does he like to make a dramatic entrance.

Shazza shakes her head, "Sounds like a charma'." Everyone picks up their weapons and begins to move outside while Paris is shocked into immobility.

"And you, what do you have?" People stilled upon noticing Cara in the shadows for the first time. Johns walked into the light and gestured her forward. Cara slipped into the light and brazenly watched everyone as they got their first clear look at Cara.

"Three close range blas'ers, some throwin' knives two daggers and one long blade." She smiled up at Johns. He frowned down at her. He knew she was hiding more weapons but even the ones she claimed to have, he couldn't see. But he could make educational guesses.

Puff sighed in exasperation, "You want to go retrieve those or are we going to hold your hand!" He juggled his entire arsenal of weapons as Cara's attention diverted to him.

Cara smiled. She couldn't help it. "What makes you think I haven't been armed from the very beginning?" She smiled and winked as his face paled. She passed everyone on the way outside and they all moved out of her way. Cara jumped into the sand with a little cloud rising around her feet and she disappeared from everyone's sight.

John is the only one smiling, his thought, She's going to be a fun one.

Fry was the one who spoke next, "Who is she, what do you think she does?"

"I don't know but I think Jack, Paris, Imam and his boys might want to avoid her. She seems dangerous." Shazza hugged Jack to her side but Jack’s face was alight with interest.

Johns spoke up, "Don't worry about her, keep your mind on Riddick. I'll keep an eye on both. I don't think there's anything to worry about, I'm getting a Merc vibe off her. As long as you not a criminal she won't care." He smiled at them knowing that she wasn't a Merc, but most likely a criminal. He could use her without creating a panic, maybe even turn a profit when the time came.

Cara watched Zeke and Shazza convert the liquid oxygen canisters from the ship into portable unites. Shazza was muttering to herself as she used Jack as a test animal, "Quick hits only, try…" Jack took a breath and smile, "Working?" Jack nodded and Shazza smiled down at the young boy. "Okay try to make it last." Jack began to distribute the portable units around.

Cara walked around the wreckage as Johns climbed onto the ship to try to get some bearings. She rounded the ship and the sight made her groan. A third blue sun was rising over the horizon. Paris was just standing there staring but the second she made a noise he squeaked and ran back the way they both came from. Cara ignored him. Jack came around the corner, "Cara, your breathing u…" The kid ground to a halt next to her. "Another sun?"

Cara took the breather pack from him, "Looks like, hope you like to sun’ bathin'."

"Bloody hell." Shazza and the rest of the group joined them.

Zeke addressed the captain as he stared at the sun, "So much for your night fall"

Paris, "So much for my cocktail hour." He leaned heavily against his war pick. Defeat in his shoulders.

Imam walked up with his arm around one of the young boys Cara had still not been introduced to. "We take this as a good sign, a path, a direction from Allah. Blue sun, blue water."

Zeke sneered at the priest's simple logic, "Ever wonder why I'm an atheist?"

Johns jumped down off the ship and walked over, "It's a bit of a bad sign, that's Riddick's direction." He pointed toward the blue sun.

Fry frowned and stood next to him her arms crossed, "I thought you found his restraints over that way, toward sunset."

Cara saw the condescending look he shot at Fry. "Right. Which means he went towards sun rise." He walked over to Zeke. As he walked over he pulled his smaller blaster from its holster and showed it to him. "Zeke. Fully loaded clip, safety's on, one shot in the air if you spot him. Okay?" He breathed heavily.

Zeke sighed, "Don't tell me you're going off too?" His breath was labored.

Johns placed his hands on his hips and stepped back a little as Paris walked over and balanced on his war pick. Johns answered Zeke's question, "Yeah." He shot a half smile that most thought charming, Cara though it was charming, just like a snake.

"What happens if Mr. Riddick spots us first." Paris leans forward with worry and concern.

Johns out right chuckles, "There'll be no shots." He turned and walked away. He paused as he neared Cara. "You, little missy, are with me." Cara frowned as she watched him walk off.

Fry pulled along her as well, "Imam and his boys are coming with us, on the off chance we find water they'll need it most." She hesitated but as the captain she had to make it clear. "I don't want you near them. You got me."

Fry tried to glare Cara down but Cara only smiled at her. "Go' it El Cap-i-tan." Cara saluted her and winked as she set off after Johns taking a hit off the air unit.

As they began to walk Cara noticed that her shirt was trapping the heat in. It was a black tee-shirt that was a stretchy material but with her holsters for her guns along her thighs and the holster for her long blade across her shoulders she felt the chafing begin. Imam began to sing in his native tongue while Cara loosened the straps getting ready for the long hall.

Johns was in front and he scanned the area as if Riddick would pop out of the ground. Then Cara followed him looking board and hot. Fry placed herself in-between Cara and Imam and the children.

About a half hour into the trip Cara stopped. She felt eyes on her. She slowly spun looking at the rocky terrain around them. She strained her ears but Imam's singing got in the way. She then heard pebbles dropping.

"Quite! Shh." Johns yelled at the group. Dropping down into a crouch he pulled his shot-gun. And ran up the hill the stones dropped from.

Cara stood with Fry and watched Johns scamper off. Imam came to stand on Fry's other side. The children called out and began tossing stones. Catching mine and Fry's look Imam explained, "Seven stones to keep the devil at bay." He watched Cara closely and she smiled a little at the young boys, so carefree at times. She turned back to watch Johns ahead, and scowled. She was too hot.

Imam stepped in front of her. "My name is Imam, we have not been properly introduced." He smiled at her and she could practically feel the glare Fry was giving her.

Cara couldn't help but like the man, he didn't care that everyone thought her dangerous. He still had hope in humanity. "Cara McManus. Pleasur' ta meet ye." They shook hands and smiled pleasantly at each other. "Them your boys’?" Cara nodded at the children.  


"Yes we are on a pilgrimage, every lifetime should there be a great hajj, a journey."

Fry spoke yup her voice soft, "To New Mecca right?"

"Yes, we do this, yes, to get to know God, better, yes, but to know yourself as well." He stared out over the waste land.

Fry breathed out a "Yeah well." More to herself than us.

"We are all on the same hajj now." He took the war pick Fry was starting to have issues carrying because the farther they walked the weaker she seemed to be getting.

"I'll go get Johns. Cara…" Fry watched her for a second. "Sorry, about…" She gestured behind her and Cara shrugged. "Watch them?" Cara nodded.

She trotted off and they waited at the bottom of the hill. Johns and Fry came down to meet them, Fry smiled at them, "Johns found some trees in the distance!" The children cried out in joy and took off running around in joy. When we finally drew near the children scrambled up the hill laughing. Cara watched the trees and frowned, they didn't move in the wind. The three boys stopped at the top and froze.

Before them as far as the eye could see was a trail of bones. The trees were actually the dorsal bones of a titanic skeleton. The creatures that once inhabited this planet are no more than a sea of bleached carcasses. The wind ripped through them creating and eerie moaning noise almost as if the creatures were still crying out. Hell had overflowed right here.

Imam squinted trying to see the end, "A communal grave yard perhaps like the elephants of original earth." One of the boys looks at him and says something in Arabic. "He asks what could have killed so many great things…"

Fry met the grim gaze of Imam and started down the incline. "Is this whole planet dead?" she murmured to herself but Cara heard. Everyone stared forward into the bone graveyard but she held back watching for a moment. Everything in her being told her Riddick was down there.

The boys walked around picking up pieces of bone and running them along the rib cage of the long dead animals. Wonder on their faces at the creature's gargantuan size. She began to follow them to keep an eye on them as both Johns and Fry wandered off. Exploring the bones. Imam stayed close to the children and Cara felt that they were safe enough.

Before they could even see her she took a quick two steps and reached up as if to do a pull up. Her fingers caught the edge of the bone and she flipped herself up into one of the empty cavities of the beast. Every cavity in the bones contorted back onto itself with plenty of nook and crannies to slide into. She wondered about until she spotted Johns creep under her with his gun drawn. She pulled her knife and crept up behind him. Quiet and fast she was just above him and could have easily jumped down on top of him to kill him. Johns was none the wiser of his near death experience. She did it just to prove to herself that she could. Not that she had any intention of killing him…yet. She smiled at the thought.

Johns eased out of his crouch and jumped out of the bones walking away, were Cara heard Fry struggling with her breathing unit. Almost directly to her right, alongside her with only a thin bone between them she saw Riddick slide down to the ground. He had been in the sinus cavity and within arm's reach of Cara and she had not noticed him.

Cara knew she didn't make a sound but Riddick looked right at her anyway. And ignored her. Cara would never admit it but she found his apathy a little offensive. She bared her teeth at his back and flipped down and landed easily without a sound and followed him.

Riddick was just behind Fry, her back to him. Cara sees the bit of bone in his hand and knows that if he wanted to he could kill Fry. Cara then found herself in a moral dilemma. Did she stop him or not. Even if Fry was being a bitch toward Cara she was only doing what was right. Before she could act Johns came taking a long pull off the scotch bottle in his hand.

Cara frowned. When did they find Scotch…

Johns offered the bottle to Fry whom is now sitting against the ribs with Riddick crouched behind her. Cara inched closer interested in what he was doing.

"Probably shouldn't do this. Dehydrates you even more." But Fry took it and drew a nice long swig.

Johns chuckles turning on his charm, "Probably right." Fry makes as noise in the back of her throat and swallows hard. "You know you could have stayed back at the ship, probably should have. You know if we don't find water, you know what happens."

Fry rolls her head to look at him "I wanted to get away."

Johns looks at her in surprise, "I've never seen a captain so ready to leave her ship."

Fry stands up and begins to walk away, "I think we should keep moving."

"What'd Owens mean?..." He stares up at her. "About not touching the handle." He stood as Fry's body language slumped. "It's just between you and me Carolyn, I promise."

Cara's lips parted in surprise. She didn't think Johns cared enough to ask.

Riddick crept up closer as Fry leaned back against the ribs, "I'm not your Captain."

Riddick inched his bladed between the ribs and grabbed a lock of Fry's hair and cut it without Johns or Fry even knowing. "During the landing, when things were at their worst, Owens was at his best. He's the one that stopped the docking pilot from dumping the main cabin…" Fry met Johns blue eyes. "The passengers." She clarified.

Johns stared at her with slight disbelief. "And the Docking Pilot being?" Fry just stared at him, "Well. I guess I'm a little more glad to be here than I thought." He walked forward and placed his hat on top of Fry's head.

As they walked away Riddick brought the lock of hair up to his nose and scented her.

Cara watched and couldn't help but frown a little, "Now tha's just weird." She said.

Riddick blow the locks into the wind and finally settled his gaze on Cara. Inside she flinched, liking it better when he wasn't looking at her. Riddick stalked towards her. Who knows maybe they might actually have a conversation this time Cara thought.

Once in arms reach he grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground but her instinct kicked in and she rolled into a crouch with a blade drawn. She settled herself into the familiar stance and flipped her hair back out of her face. Riddick watched her and grinned. She frowned at him. The he held up one of her daggers and flipped it into the air.

Cara felt the muscle below her eye twitch. No one ever stole from her, no one.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Cara stood and eased her knife into its holster. She ran her fingers through her hair and eased her shoulders. She cracked her neck one way and settled eerily still. "Stealin' is no' nice.”

Cara watched as Riddick fiddled with the knife, subliminally checking the balance. "Neither is planning to kill people." He nodded towards the cavity Cara had hidden in when stalking Johns. She tried not to react to his voice, it was gravely from lack of water.

"Well I'm no' exactly a nice person." I smiled at him.

He smiled at her, "Me neither.”

Before he could finish his sentence she darted forward and attempted a heal kick with her right leg. Riddick, in the time it took for Cara to get to him, had thrown the knife and it lay imbedded in the ground a few feet away. He had to brush her kick to the side and dodge an inside crescent kick to his temple less than half a second later. He curled under her leg and spun out of her range.  
They stilled and waited for the other to attack. Cara wasn't aware of the little smile on her face as they circled like rabid wolves. It had been a long time since she had a hand to hand combat fight with someone who could kill her. It was exhilarating.

Riddick felt it to, the thrill of a good fight to come. The adrenalin rush at the thought of it, a female who could prove to be a little fun.

Riddick was the one to move forward, fast and low. Get her off balance. He executed a low spinning leg sweep that was faster than the eye could follow and connected. Sure of his take down he pressed forward to get her into a hold knowing she was too weak to fight it. He didn't get that far.

Cara let him connect but anticipated it. She was already moving, when her legs were kicked away Cara balanced onto her right hand. She felt the pain of letting him land a blow. She let the momentum of his sweep throw her leg at his head in a grand sweeping motion, a modified crescent kick. Her foot connected and she rolled away. Small and fast. Barely feeling the jar up her leg.

He jerked to the side with a grunt. He would feel that one later, most likely in the form of a head ache. But she wasn't done. Cara dated forward again while he kneeled on the ground and knead him in the face. He brought his hands up and defended his head and rushed forward.

It was a violent and fast take down. It wasn't a special hold or anything; he just used his weight and strength to keep her down. His hands were on her upper arms keeping them pinned along her sides and his legs pinned hers to the ground. Cara grunted at the crazy weight of him but stilled instead of fighting and possibly hurting herself.

Riddick examined her, crouching low to hover his face close to hers, her eyes seemed more indigo as the blue sun hit them. "You're good. Not good enough." He granted her the comment.

Cara smiled up at him all teeth, "Ye sure abou' tha’?"

Riddick frowned as he felt a small tapping on the inside of his leg. He glanced down and saw his shiv along the inside of his thigh. He scowled, she was a fast little bitch with light fingers. He inner convict approved. He rolled off her as she stood dusting herself off.

Cara tried to not let it rattle her, she was just plain lucky she was able to reach the bloody shiv in time, it had been a gamble. Cara watched him for a second and tossed him the bone shiv while she reclaimed her blade. The altercation only took two minutes tops.

Off in the distance the others began shouting her name. It echoed throughout the bones. She turned toward the noises and listened for a second, she turned back and Riddick was gone. She frowned, "I'm beginin' to find tha' annoyin'." She murmured.

Riddick had in fact pulled himself into one of the many caverns and began to move away, toward the voices. He grinned to himself as he heard her talk to herself; he would have to make sure to sneak up and away from her more often. For some reason he was sure not many got the drop on her. He then scowled thinking of the fight, when had she stolen the shiv?

Still hidden among the bones he watched as the petite brunette run to catch up with the group. It wasn't a run of a normal women but the run of a hunter, fast, low to the ground, and ready to change position at the drop of a hat. He recalled the others yelling, So her name is Cara. Riddick smiled a little to himself. He rumbled his approval, if only to himself.

~

Once Cara caught up with the others they continued out of the bone yard. Nearing the end one of the children found a little solar-powered robot man. They dusted him off and he began to make little mechanical sounds. It was dented and scratched but looked to be repaired in some areas. 

The others left it and moved on while Cara stayed. Examined it. It was a child's favorite toy. It wouldn't have been easily forgotten. Why was it out here?

Rounding a bend in a canyon they stumbled upon what looked like an abandoned town. Large buildings that looked like metal boxed with ductwork leading to each building. And solar panels were mounted were ever there was space. Tattered clothing hung from a laundry line and fluttered in the wind. A dried out greenhouse exhibited dead plants that disintegrated when touched.

The group didn't speak but spread out to investigate. Imam headed towards the greenhouse looking at the irrigation system. Johns walked and picked up a thermos of some kind, only rocks rattled in the body. Fry disappeared into one of the buildings and the boys ran through the empty streets. Cara stood in the sun looking at all the structures.

"Why are the cloths' on the line still?" Her voice was immediately ripped away by the wind. Even with the wind the heat was unbearable. Cara made the choice to find clothing that breathed a little more than her work cloths. She picked the one with the cloths line with the off chance of it being the building the settlers slept. She found her way to the upper level in the dark. Just looking at the way these buildings where put together she knew they weren't new, at least over ten years old and cheaply made. Cara made her way through the building looking in the doorway to judge the room. Most were a mess with dust and sand everywhere but she came across one that didn't look too messy.

She rummaged until she found a white take top and a pair of boys cargo pants. At least they weren't all black, or covered in sweat, or freaking hotter than hell. She shrugged out of her holster, unbuckling and with a lot of hopping. Her boots took more attention, actually having to sit down to untie them and yank them off. She curled her toes in bliss. She also got a good look at her leg were Riddick got a hit. The bruise was a pretty purple and blue color that covered her outer right shin. How lovely she thought. She also had red marks on her arms but they would be gone in an hour or so.

She shimmy and shaked out of her damp dirty clothing and slipped into the much cooler clothing. She had time to be thankful for her black bra being nothing fancier than a sports bra, didn't want to give anyone a show. She frowned as she swiped at the sweat pooling in between her breasts. A small rectangular chip was nestled comfortably there. The bloody chip that caused all this mess. She gritted her teeth, that job seemed so long ago. She twisted the chip between her fingers, the plastic strained against the tork she inflicted upon it. At the last second she let up. She put it back, on the off chance she made it off this planet there might be info she could black mail someone with on that stupid bit of plastic.

She sat back down on the floor and pouted as she put her shoes back on and tucked her baggy pants into the boots. She stood and stretched feeling so much better. The pants hugged her hips closely but flared out maybe around mid-thigh. Cara was almost certain that these were little boy's pants but they fit just fine.

She quickly armed herself and was in the middle of buckling her thigh holster with her back to the door when she was grabbed from behind. Whoever it was grabbed a hand full of her ass and threw her up against the vanity. She gasped in surprise and glared in the mirror at Johns. He pressed up tight against her ass and pinned her lower body down.

Cara's arms were braced against the top having thrown everything to the ground. "Ge' off, ye piece of Merc shite.”

He grinned down at her, "That was a nice show, baby. I like the weapons, adds danger." He leaned forward and buried his face in her hair, "You smell good." Johns rubbed himself up against her and Cara was repulsed that she could feel him through the fabric.

He pulled back and smiled at her in the reflection. Cara smiled as well, "Ye like danger'?" He nodded at her and let his hand roam a little around her hips. "How abou' this?..."She said while throwing her elbow back and slamming it into his face. He stumbled back surprised and she used the vanity to launch herself in a twisting motion at Johns. She hammer fisted him in the side of the throat and his face turned a red color as he collapsed to try to get air.

He was right in the doorway but Cara recalled her layout of the settlement. Without a seconds hesitation she threw the window open and launched out. She landed on a metal awning that provided cover between two buildings, she ran across it to the other building and ran up the wall easily catching the edge and hauling her weight over it. She rolled into a crouch and continued until she heard Fry yelling. For a second Cara thought it was Johns and froze, waiting to sprint to her rescue. But she finally made out the words.

"Hello Mecca!”

Cara climbed over the edge of the building and joined Fry in what looked like a court-yard of some kind. In front of her was an old skiff that seemed to be used for spare parts. It was all beat up and dented but Fry had a huge smile on her face like it was Christmas morning in a good Christian's home. Imam and his boys came over with smiles on their faces.

"We have also found water!" The boys laughed happily. They all smiled at each other as their situation began to look up.

And then Johns joined the group. Cara's face fell, replaced by one of rage. She quickly hid it. She would have to kill him when his true character came out to the rest of the group. To everyone else he was the good ol' drawling law man who protected them from a serial killer. And Cara could be prosecuted as easily as Riddick. Johns and Cara glared at each other, both with killing intent.

"Well isn't that a piece of shit." Johns dismissed Cara and examined the skiff. The team's moral plummeted.

"Fry you check the boat'. Me and Imam will find wat'er containers." Cara was already at it. By the time they got back with the bottles of water Fry was done.

"No Juice." Fry said walking dejectedly out of the cabin of the skiff.

Cara heard a shot ring through the air. It was a long way off but seemed to come from the crash site. She felt a twinge of disappointment, what if it was Riddick?

Fry continued obviously not hearing it, "It looks like it's been laid up for years but we might be able to adapt it to…”

"Shute up." Johns voice over powered Fry's. His annoyance plain in his voice. Fry froze, shocked at his tone of voice more than anything. He turned his head toward her and saw her face but quickly glazed over it with a smile. "Sorry thought I heard something.”

"Like what?" Fry began to wonder slightly afraid.

"Gun shots." He paused. We should head back with the water, they'll be needing it.”

More than half way there they heard multiple gun shots ring through the air, it was coming from where Zeke was burying the dead bodies. Johns pulled a gun and set off with Cara just behind while Fry yelled for Imam to get the boys to safety as she followed. They cut through a forest of strange pillars that were in-between them and their destination. Cara picked up the pace and lost Johns in the process. As petrified screaming could be heard. Silence fell soon followed by a tortured scream, “ZEKE!"

Cara burst from the pillars and glanced around to get her barring in time to see Riddick bolt by. He ran into the pillars not realizing Johns was lying in wait. Shazza soon passed as well and the two women ran side by side until they came upon Johns smacking Riddick with his baton as Riddick lay on the ground.

Shazza walked right up to him, "What did you do to Zeke?" Riddick was disoriented with his goggles ripped off his face by Johns and didn't see Shazza's fist coming.

He fell back onto the ground as Cara dragged Shazza away, "Shazza that's enough!”

"WHAT did you do to him!”

Fry arrived and helped Cara drag the taller women away, "Just kill him, just kill him before somebody else…" And as if to act on her words Shazza threw out a well-placed kick and knocked Riddick out.

Cara dragged Shazza away, the women acting wild and trying to take a piece of Riddick. Fry stood with Johns as they stared down at him and his bloodless shiv and clean clothing.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

After Cara dragged Shazza away she had a hard time keeping the women from grabbing her war pick and charging in to finish Riddick off. Riddick was back in the ship, each arm pulled as far as they could go out to his sides. A bent piece of metal served as a seat for him, the only light in the cabin was a small hole in the hull far above him. No convenient gap to slip though, no handy blow torch, no blindfold to protect his eyes.

When Johns first hung him up he punched Riddick in the ribs to wake him up. Johns 'questioned' Riddick with a few incentive blows to the ribs. After that Cara watched Fry and Johns walk off to have a private conversation, during which Cara had to perform an arm lock on Shazza. Damn did that woman have some fight. Cara mused.

Fry and Johns had taken over talking to Shazza trying to figure out what Riddick was telling Johns. And what exactly Shazza saw.

Cara stuck around a little longer walking around blaming it on pent-up jitters. She walked close behind Johns and swiped Riddick's goggles from his back pocket. Johns didn't even notice. She grinned and let him walk away.

Cara started walking back toward the ship and Jack met her half way. "I saw that." Cara just smiled at him and winked. Jack continued, "You missed it today! I totally scared the crap out of Paris! I was able to get a blade up to his throat and everything." Cara quirked an eyebrow at him. 

"I wouldn't have killed him." Jack rolled his eyes at her.

"Then you shouldn' have put ta' blade to his' skin." She stopped walking and turned to him. "When someone as small as us is confron'ed in a life or death situation be ready ta' take a life. Because there always someone down ta' road willing to take yours who's bigger and badder." Jack hung on her every word so Cara had to shoo him off. Even if Cara didn't follow her own advice, Jack was just a kid with an infatuation with criminals, it was going to kill him one day. Maybe Cara could scare it out of him? Most likely not.

Before she slipped into the ship she snapped the goggles over her head so they dangled like a necklace around her throat. She climbed her way to the second floor and watched Riddick through a large hole in the floor. She laid down on her stomach and propped her head on her hands staring at him. And Cara was certain he stared back.

Both their heads turned at the same moment when Fry's steps came into ear shot. She hopped through the entrance and clambered inside. Before even fully stopping she began, "So where's the body?" She leaned one arm against a piece of debris and leaned forward, her body language aggressive. Riddick didn't twitch. Fry breathed, "Well do you wanna tell me about the sounds?" She waited a beat. "Look you told Johns you heard something." She nodded her head at him to encourage him to speak.

Like a fucking dog? Cara thought.

Fry dropped her arms to her sides. "That's fine. You don't wanna talk to me, that's you choice…" She turned away but quickly turned back and in a louder exasperated voice, "But just so you know, there's a debate as to whether we should just leave you here to die.”

Riddick keeps his head down while Fry is looking at him but she turns and takes two steps. In that time he glances up at Cara and winks. Cara quirks an eyebrow but he missed it, back in his original position. His voice so soft Fry almost misses it. "Mean the whispers?”

Cara notices Jack trying to creep up on Fry and Riddick, he makes it to the stairs before Riddick senses the kid. But Jack goes no farther, just sits on the stairs to eavesdrop. Never seeing Cara laying out on the floor.

Fry pauses and slowly steps closer to Riddick. Her voice almost a whisper itself, "What whispers?" Fry noticed for the first time Riddick's eyes are closed.

"The ones tellin' me to go for the sweet spot, just to the left of the spine, fourth lumbar down." He voice is the loudest Cara ever heard it. She would recognize it anywhere now. "The abdominal aorta. Metallic taste to it, human blood. Coppery. But if you cut it with peppermint schnapps, that goes away. Course, that's more…”

Fry cut him off. "Wanna shock me with the truth now?" Her voice sharp.

Oh, I like when she has balls. Cara thought.

He rolls his head towards Fry, she almost thinks he can see her through his eye lids. "All you people are so scared of me, an' most days, I'd take that as a compliment…" He leans back a little smiling so faintly Fry can't see it but based on her prior experiences, Cara knows it's there. “…but it ain't me you gotta worry about now.”

Fry doesn't know what's more disturbing, the face that she feels watched or the fact she's starting to believe him. "Show me your eyes Riddick.”

He turns away. "You'd have to come a lot closer for that." Fry steps forward only five paces away now. "Closer." His voice a rough whisper.

Fry wipes her sweaty palms on her pants and eyes his restraints. Two more steps. Riddick surges forward like a tidal wave scaring Fry back and opens his eyes as a shaft of light crosses his face. Pearly silver orbs stare at Fry. And then flicker to Jack who shot up as well.

Cara smiled at Jack's reaction. Two for the price of one, nice Riddick.

"Where the hell can I get eyes like that!?" Jack's voice is so quiet Cara knows instantly Jack never wants to be on the straight and narrow life.

Riddick watched the kid. "Gotta kill a few people.”

Jack comes forward and smiling coolly at him, "Okay I can do it.”

"Then you gotta get sent to a slam, where they tell ya you'll never see daylight again." Fry stiffens at the horrid thought. "You dig up a doctor and you pay him 20 menthol cools to do a surgical shin job on your eyeballs.”

Jack smiles at him. "So you can see who's sneaking up on you in the dark?" Jack face telegraphing how cool he thought Riddick was.

Riddick grinned, full mouth and teeth without being snide about it, just pure enjoyment, “Exactly."

Fry yelled "Leave!" She didn't want them to be socializing. Jack stared at her in shock. "Leave." She said it more quietly this time while Riddick watched with an amused look on his face. Jack stormed off.

"Cute kid." Fry glared at him. "Did I kill a few people?" He leaned back again in the shadows. "Sure." He paused, "Did I kill Zeke?" He raised his face to the light so she could see the truth. "No, you got the wrong killer.”

Fry ground her teeth. "He's not in the hole." She crossed her arms. "We looked.”

"Look deeper." He moved back into his original position as Fry walks out.

They sit in silence and Cara adjusts herself so she's on her back leaning down into the hole in the floor. Her hair swings down and she watches him from her new angle. Riddick's eyes flashed as he watched the weird little women.

Cara smiled at him playing with his goggles. "You know I saved your life abou' four times when you were out'?" He didn't say anything. "Tha' women Shazza reeeaally doesn't like you." Riddick shrugged. "Actually the only ones ta' seem to like ye are me or ta' kid." Cara jerked her head at the stairs Jack previously occupied.

Riddick raised his face, "You like me?" The way he said it though was condescending, sort of like he implied Cara more than just liked him. What a bloody ball buster.

Cara rolled her eyes in exasperation, he could just get under her skin. She gripped the edge and let her body fall and thuncked down onto her feet. She walked up to Riddick and pulled off his goggles. "Jus' came ta' return your bobbles.”

She was directly in front of him and slid the goggles over his head, balancing on his forehead. Riddick's nostrils flared and the strangest sound came from the back of his throat. Cara almost thought it was a growl. Riddick stood up forcing her back a step and bent over her burying his face in her hair. "Why do you smell like Johns?" His chains stopped him just short of grabbing at her but she stilled anyway, smelling his faint aroma of scotch and soap with a little sweat. Not all together unpleasant.

"I do no'!" She smelled her shirt but couldn't really catch anything definitive. He bared his teeth at her. "He cornered meh' but I took care of it." Her eyes found themselves to his chest and abs and watched as they bunched as his back arched toward her. Nice. "Donna' ye worry." She pushed him back a little and he retreated without any fuss. He sat down and she realized that was the first not violent touch they had. Was it strange that she noticed that?

"CARA!" Jack came bolting in out of breath.

"What happened?" Cara immediately walked over to the lad.

He looked slightly freaked. "Fry went into the hole they think Zeke got pulled into! It doesn't feel right." He shook his head.

Riddick clanged his chains, "Better hurry.”

Riddick put credit to Jack's claim so Cara bolted out into the desert with Jack trying to keep up. She tore across the space and gasped for more air at her breathing unit. She skidded to a stop beside the group, all looked worriedly at the rope waiting for a tug to tell them something was wrong.

Less than a minute later Cara could have sworn she heard a scream. "Ye hear tha'?" They all froze. Imam got closer to the hole to listen. Cara knelt on the ground and put her ear to it. She felt something vibrate just beneath the surface. Then she defiantly heard a noise she stood up and walked over to the pillars of rock, Jack on her tail. Ears straining.

"I hear it!" Jack exclaimed and then everyone rushed over and began to listen.

"Ta' grounds hollow! Ta' pillars!" Cara growled out.

Cara began searching but it was Jack who found the right pillar. Imam and Johns busted though the side and grabbed Fry.

"Give me your god damn hand!”

"Did you find Zeke?”

"I heard you Fry, I found you.”

"Bloody hell, are you alright.”

"What was that!?”

"Are you alright!”

The rush of questions went unanswered as Fry tried to get her breathing under control. "FUCK!" she panted. "That was so fucking stupid." She swallowed hard, "I don't know what the fuck is in there, but whatever it is, it got Zeke and it nearly got ME…" She screamed and the rope tied around her waist ripped her back off her feet toward the pillar.

Cara being the only one close enough, grabbed the rope and tried to stop it but just got rope burn for her troubles. Fry slammed into her back pushing Cara toward the hole. Cara used her legs to brace while Johns grabbed onto Fry. While she screamed "Get it off me!" Imam grabbed onto Cara's arm trying to pull her away but instead she pulled out a knife and sliced the rope. The end of the rope flew down the hole and Cara had time to see two huge creatures run by as she fell to the ground with an 'oomph'. The women just lay on the ground trying to catch their breath and Johns stumbled away.

Fry grabbed onto Cara and held her hand, "Thank you." She panted out as Imam gave her a pull of water and air.

"Donna' mention it." Cara just stared at the sky for a second and flapped her hand in the air. Jack came over and poured a little of her water on Cara's burned hands.

When did she start caring about whether these people live or die? But she couldn't deny it as she watched Jack dab at her wounded hands.


	7. Chapter 7

Cara watched Johns disappear into the ship. She frowned. "Thank you Jack I'm fine. Check Fry for me." The boy nodded but didn't miss when she got up and disappeared into the ship as well.

She slipped into the ship and climbed to her normal space, the second level, watching. Johns was balanced on one leg his thumbs tucking into his belt loops and she caught the tail end of his sentence. "…without chains, without bit, without shivs." He paused trying to gauge Riddick's attitude. For some reason he got the distinct impression of anger and violence rolling off him. Cara felt it too. Why was Riddick losing his cool? Johns continued. "You do what I say when I say it”

Riddick shook his head in disbelief and asked with a condemning voice. "For What? The honor of going back to some ass hole of a cell, fuck you." By the time the sentence ended all humor was gone.

"The truth is, because…" He shook his head and shuffled his feet. "Because I'm tired of chasing you." Both Riddick and Cara heard the truth in his voice. What a surprise.

Riddick watched him closely waiting for the illusion of freedom to vanish, "You saying you'd cut me loose?”

Johns almost gave him a smile, "I'm thinkin you choulda died in the crash." Maybe Johns really didn't care, or maybe it's the fact that he did, about his own ass and its chances of getting off this planet alive.

Riddick looked cross that he couldn't figure Johns plan out. "My recommendation?" He paused and stared Johns down. "Do me. Don't take the chance I get shiv happy on your wannbe rapist ass.”

Johns looked bitter, “Okay."

Riddick tugged his chains making a loud noise, "Ghost me mother fucker, that's what I would do to you.”

Johns ripped out his gun and Cara jumped to her knees, intending to jump on him, alarm pumping through her system. But instead of killing Riddick he shot at the chain above Riddick's head. The sound was deafening in the enclosed quarters. Riddick turned his head back to Johns slowly and dropped his hands slowly breathing in.

Johns face looked like it did when he reprimand Jack, "I want you to remember this moment." Riddick looked absolutely cross at the situation. "The way it coulda gone and didn't. Here." He held out a hand to help Riddick up. Riddick made a move to take the sign of friendship but in the blink of and eye he pulled a reversal on Johns and aimed the gun at Johns' face. Riddick clenched his jaw and glanced at Cara. He watched her for a second and she gently shook her head, no. Don't do it.

Johns face was calm but his voice when he spoke sounded nervous, “Riddick…"

Riddick cut him off angrily, "Fuck you!" And his fingers re-gripped the gun, willing himself to pull the trigger.

"Do we have a deal?" Johns hands were out to the sides waiting to see if he was about to die.

Before Riddick answered his shoulders slumped and his jaw clench at his self-control. He sighed in defeat, and then he thought of something. His cool calm returned. "I want you to remember this moment." He threw down the gun and watched Johns scoop it up swallowing hard. Johns, having been enough of a man today for his tastes, stormed off leaving Riddick in the ship. Unchained and un-hunted for once.

Riddick watched Johns leave like a jaguar whose been encaged for too long. Cara sat back down her legs dangling over the edge. She leaned her elbows on her knees and watch Riddick, "They foun' a skiff. It's a piece o' junk but it'll do the job.”

He turned to her and walked over to her perch. She noticed the tight set of his shoulders and the tenseness of his walk. She frowned when he didn't stop but grabbed her legs and yanked her toward him. Very ungracefully she tumbled forward dropping threw the hole ass first. She yelped and he caught her easily with her legs spread wide and his hands on her ass. Her legs instinctually wrapped around him but they were around his biceps, her booted feet against his sides for grip and he pushed her against the wall. She loosened slightly and her knees dropped to rest in the crook of his elbow. Her arms fell into his shoulders attempting to support herself. She panted slightly at the overt sexual position. Cara felt the blush rip across her face as he still somehow managed to arch over her.

"Why did you save him?" The anger in his voice rumbled trough his chest which Cara could feel at every point he touched. His eyes were so close to hers that she could see the little swirl they contained. She tried to push him away even if she wanted to pull him closer but he ground himself tighter into her forcing her to stop moving. The animalistic side of Cara purred but what came out was an undignified squeak. "Why?" His hand that had been pressed flat against the wall tightened into fists. She felt the muscles tighten and bunch under her legs. Her core was pressed against his lower abdomen and her face continued to redden as her mind easily leapt to all the other fun things that could be happening.

Cara swallowed hard, "Um…" She tried her best to understand his question. "I…I thought' tha' he might be useful later?" Her answer sounded lame even to herself.

He bared his teeth and dropped his head into her wavy hair. She heard his breath deeply his chest expanding pressing against her. "Is that all?" For some reason she read a warning in his voice.  
She cleared her throat, "The o'thers would have also prosecut'ed you. Maybe killed ye'." She felt like there was a lion in front of her trying to decide whether to eat her or not.

"You're so concerned with my well-being…" His arms loosened and he pulled away so Cara's legs could drop. Before they touched the ground his hand pulled at the back of her knees so they stood in the basic missionary position.

Her center now was lowered to his and she glared at him. "Wha' you doin'?" Her voice was soft, waiting.

"Being concerned with your well-bein'." He ground his hips against her and without thought she groaned in the back of her throat. Her hand gripped the back of his neck as she ground herself against his hips. The friction created a very pleasant feeling and he growled at the feeling of her body writhing against his.

"RIDDICK!" Johns voice echoed throughout the ship and they instantly froze like ice water being dumped on their heads. "Get your ass over here.”

Riddick clenched his jaw and stepped back. "Later." It was more of a promise than a parting. As he walked away she saw the back of his neck had scratch markings. Cara smiled at her mark while Riddick placed his goggles over his sensitive eyes and faced the crowd outside.


	8. Chapter 8

Everyone was quickly puttering around packing the Oxygen packs, liquor, umbrellas, the Koran, basically whatever qualified as an essential to these people. Cara only takes a water bottle and checks her weapons while avoiding Riddick. Their encounter only made her want to spare with him again, but this time ended much differently.

Cara noticed Jack staring off into the distance at the hollow pillars where Fry almost met her end. "Wha' seems ta' be the' issue?”

Jack startled and saw it was only Cara behind him, "Why haven't they come for us yet? The animals." He was solemn and seemed to truly want to know.

Cara couldn't help but notice that at times Jack seemed older. She noticed that he saw most things people missed. "Well, mos' animals prefer to hunt in the dark, even' humans." Jack watched Cara as she attempted to comfort him. It was an interesting way. "Fry also said they' looked ta' be sleepen' or hibernaten'." She smiled at him. Cara gripped his shoulders and steered him toward the rest, "Donna worry little' bit. I got' ye back.”

Jack laughed, "Who's little?”

"Och'! It's go' a bite!" Cara laughed with him.

"Hey this isn't a camping trip, get your gear and let's head out!" Johns snapped at us.

Cara rolled her eyes, "Keep it in yo' pants' Johnny boy." They drew near him and Cara saw Riddick bending over to pick up a rope linked to some kind of sled. She saw him duck his head a little hiding a grin.

His jaw clenched and he ground his teeth as he growled out. "It's Johns." He saw Riddick smirking and kicked a little sand at him, "What you laughing at." He stormed to the head of the group.

Cara frowned at Riddick, "They maken' ye drag tha’?"

He shrugged, "It's nothing.”

Cara pulled off her Oxygen pack and handed it to him. He stared at it for a second before taking it, "You'll need it more than' me'." They set out toward the settlement. Jack jogged to catch up with the rest of the group but Cara felt the pull to stay by Riddick.

Along the way the puff of a man, Paris, dropped a bottle of something and it rolled down the hill toward Cara and Riddick. He quickly ran back to pick it up but just before he got to it Riddick picked it up.

Straightening up Paris's eyes widened at Riddick but out of fear he reverted to what he always did, he introduced himself. "Paris P. Ogilvie. Antiquities dealer, entrepreneur." He held his hand out in a muscle memory movement.

Riddick grinned liking how the man was a walking victim, he gripped the others hand, "Richard B. Riddick. Escaped convict, murderer." Instead of returning the bottle, Riddick opens it and begins to suck it down.

Paris panics his eyes fluttering, "That's a particular good Chiraz, it's a lovely drop, it's very expensive…" Riddick continues. "…by all means please help yourself." Riddick stops with a few good gulps left and Paris looks relived until Riddick handed the bottle over to Cara.

She smiles and downs it. She hands the empty bottle to Paris, "Thanks Puff.”

Paris looks at her and she knows she just became one of his least liked people. "It's Paris.”

She grinned at him and she knew Riddick was too, "I kno'." She and Riddick pulled ahead while Paris fumed. He charged ahead and went to the farthest part of the group away from them both.

"Puff pastry?" Riddick clarified.

"Me' weakness." She chuckled at Riddick just shook his head grinning. "I just' realized ye' had no water." Cara took out her bottle from her cargo pants and handed it to him.

He drank half and breathed heavily. "You're going to make me go soft." He joked.

"Because I gave ye' water in a god forsaken deser'?" She made a gaffing noise.

"Hey pick up the pace you two!" Johns yelled at them.

Cara eyed him as they walked faster, "He ain't maken' it off this planet', that for sure." She eyes the power cell Imam and Fry are carrying. "That's no' enough to get us off this planet.”

"That'd be Johns being cautious. He knows I could kill everyone and take the ship myself. Once Fry fixes the skiff up." He struggled up a hill but Cara knew if she tried to help him he would wave her off.

"Huh. He thinks." Cara dropped the conversation as they pulled into the settlement.

Johns lead the group to the skiff and Fry jogged forward to check the interior. Paris cracked another bottle of alcohol and took a swig while staring that the heap of junk. "I mean, normally I can appreciate antiques, but, this? This is something else..." He shook his head rounding the corner to get a look at the inside. Fry was trying to get the power cell aboard the skiff as the others continued to walk its exterior, checking for hull breaches.

Johns accepted the bottle Paris held out to him and downed a gulp. "It'll work." He watched Riddick and Cara look at the ship with a critical eye. He didn't know what Cara could do with the ship but he knew Riddick.

"It nothing we can't repair as long as the electrical adapts." Fry confirmed and she bent over the power cell.

Shazza turns to Fry after checking the back thruster engines. "Well." She picked at her shirt trying to cool off "It's not a star-jumper.”

Car saw Riddick stand up straight with his hands behind his back. "Doesn't need to be. Take a two-seater like this back up to the Sol-Track Shipping Lanes, stick out a thumb. Bound to get picked up." He was starring off into the distance but then turned to Fry, "Ain't that right Captain?”

Fry and Johns exchange a look but she ultimate decides to ignore him. "Little help here?" She struggles to get the power cell on board. Jack and Paris rush forward to help. They attempt to muscle the power cell aboard but it is very heavy.

Riddick starts to follow, but Johns blocks him, he doesn't want Riddick inside. "Whoa,whoa, whoa. Do me a favor and check these containers out? See what we can patch these wings up with. Huh?" While he's talking he avoids Riddick's eyes but at the end glares at him. Making sure Riddick gets his meaning.

 

People scatter until only Shazza, Fry, and Cara are in the small ship. Johns stands outside watching the door. While Fry seems to know what she's doing Shazza has no bloody clue, she's just an extra pair of hands. Fry is rummaging around the battery bay which is located in the floor. Hands are adapting the power cell to the skiffs older electrical system. Fry is about to plug it in when Cara sees a faulty wire, "Wait'!" She stays Fry's hand while both Johns and Shazza watched as she cuts the wire out and splices a new one in, "If ye plugged it in all the pow'er would hav' surged." Cara looked deeper into the panel, "Oh bloody hell'!" She pulled back out and looked at Fry. "Check thi' out.”

Fry ducked her head in, "You've got to be kidding.”

Cara turned to Johns, "Com' here." He walked over. "See these wires here?" She pointed out some red, blue, and green connector wires leading off into the ship. "Try to find as many as you can okay? They should be on a spool' o' some kind. An' bring um' to me when ye do.”

Fry pulled out of the hole and ran her fingers through her hair. "With us both working at the same time I'd say half hour tops." Cara nodded her head in agreement. As Johns ran off.

Shazza leaned forward, "What's the issue?”

"So' one got a bit throttle happy. Burned the main control leads to shite." Cara shook her head. Johns came back quickly with his arm full of a mess of wires. "Even' if we get thi' hooked up, we'll need mor’."

Fry spoke up, "Yeah this should buy us a sys-check. But we'll need more cells.”

Johns leaned over the two women while they untangled the cords and Cara climbed deeper into the ship to start cutting the bad wires out. "How many?”

"Well, this might get us 15… 6-gigs here...90 gigs total...other ship carries 20-gig cells, so...five. Five total to launch.”

"At 25 kilos each, huh?" He shook his head.

Shazza spoke up, ”You saw that Old sand-cat outside?" Johns glanced at her. "I might be able to get it goin’."

Johns nodded and he heard a grunt from below as Cara just yanked a bunch of charred black cords and threw them out. "Do it. And if you need an extra hand…" He paused looking around. "Where'd Riddick go?”

Cara and Fry got to work while the other two both left. Cara swore at the dull tool the settlers left behind for them to use. Fry chuckled at her, "Where did you learn to do all this? I didn't peg you for a pilot.”

"Well' tha's because I'm no'." She shrugged at Fry. "I just pick up thing's here an' there." She gritted her teeth as one of the thicker leads didn't strip properly. "Me Da left home before I wa' born, Ma did what she could. We planet jumped almos' every year. You learn fast in a life like tha'." She sat up from the uncomfortable position. "Wha' about you, how long you been in the air?”

Fry laughed, "Well it seems like forever. Been with the Hunter Gratzner for years now, It was the first ship of its size I got to fly. It wasn't the prettiest thing but…." Her eyes zoned out at the tool in her hand.

Cara sensed the tender subject, "Wha' class you birdie?”

Fry shook her head at the women. She hadn't liked Cara when they first met, but the more she talked the more an unlikely friendship was struck. "Second but I have enough deep-space hours to qualify for Pilot First Class." She stated a little proudly.

"Why didn’a ya?”

She hesitated, "I didn't take the exam. It's the extended cryosleep." She shook her head.

"Och'! I hear ye! I hate cryosleep." She shook her head and they heard footsteps approaching the ship.

It was Imam. "We have prepared what food we can find and have some water waiting for you, if you would care to joins us?" Both Fry and Cara smiled at him and followed him. In the mess hall they entered as Riddick and Johns walked up.

Fry went to Johns, "A little more and we can hook it up." He nodded as Riddick took off his goggles and rubbed the chafed flesh around his eyes. He stood in the darkest part of the room he could find and took a cup of water with him.

Imam raised his arm to the sky and said something in Arabic, "All praises be, Allah and his many blessing to us." While he spoke Jack slammed through door and strutted in. Cara watched him with a smile and then she out right laughed. Jack had somehow managed to shave his head and wrangle up a pair of goggles. Cara laughed even harder at the faces Shazza, Paris, Fry, and Johns exchanged.

"Looken' good little' bit." She shook her head and he ducked his head smiling.

"It's the winner of the lookalike contest." Paris murmured and he sipped his water.

A low humming started up. Cara frowned but sipped her water. It must be the solar power unit.

Glancing around the room Paris saw some strange looking tools. "Who are these people anyways? Miners?" He questioned to Shazza.

"Hmm. No looks like geologists. You know, an advanced team moves around to rock to rock…"  
Fry cut her off from stepping out of what looked like an office. "Nice of them to leave so much stuff here." She put her glass down on the table and leaned against it. "Why'd they leave their shit?" There was and awkward silence as they all thought about it. Imam went to the windows and looked out. "Why leave a ship?" Fry continued.

"It's not a ship it's a skiff and it's disposable really." Johns leaned back in his chair with his feet on the table.

Paris swallowed hard, "Like an emergency life-raft, right?”

Shazza stepped forward, "Yeah they probably had a big drop-ship take them off-planet.”

Cara rolled her eyes at them as Riddick spoke from the shadow, forcing them to face reality. "These people didn't leave. Come one. Whatever got Zeke got them. They're all dead." Shazza dropped her gaze slightly shocked and afraid her pleasant dream was ripped from her. Paris sat down hard. Johns and Fry just watched him.

Cara spoke up, ”What? You donna really think they lef' with te clothes on the lines? Photos on the shelves? A child's favorite toy in the sand?”

Shazza glared at Cara, not liking that she agreed with Riddick. "Maybe they had weight limits, you don't know.”

Riddick snapped his goggle back into place and smiled at her, "I know you don't prep your emergency ship unless there's a fucking emergency.”

"He's fucking right." Jack piped up.

"Watch your mouth." Johns chipped in.

Fry pushed off the table, "They're just saying what were all thinking." She sat on the table angled toward Cara and Riddick. "So what happened, where are they?”

Before Riddick could take a breath to speak Imam came inside panting slightly, no one had even noticed he had left, ”Has anyone seen the little one. Ali?" Everyone did a quick check of the room.

Riddick stood up straighter, "Has anyone checked the coring room?”

As if on cue they all heard a scream. Cara bolted through the office and out the window closest to the Coring room. She landed hard on her heals but shot-gunned off toward the building hearing the others bust through the door. Cara heard another scream of fright and it added speed to her stride.

Riddick yelled to her from far behind, "It's locked.”

She rounded the corner of a building and the structures created a runway straight to the coring room. She noticed the sun roof was open. She didn't slow but ran at the metal crates and barrels stacked against the building. The others rounded the corner in time to see Cara running up and over the dome and jumping into the room through the sun roof, a blade in her hand.

"Bloody hell!" Shazza exclaimed. But the child's scream cut her off. They heard Cara's scream as well.

Cara dropped like a rock. There was an I-beam right in her way and she crashed into it. It put her off balance and she landed on packed earth hard. She cried out at the pain in her shoulder but rolled up in time to see the child flailing about as creatures screeched all around him, eating him. 

Cara ran forward and crashed into the boy. She straddled his small form and slashed at the creatures with her dagger still in her hand and ripped her short sword from her back stealth and without style slashed at the bat like monsters. Cara could feel the scratches and bites collecting on her bare arms but didn't care.

Little bat like bodies fell around them, from wounds or because they thought to claw toward them. She was shocked that they thought of that and she kicked out a booted heal crushing the little fucker.

The shot gun blast from the door caused her to hunch forward over the boy attempting to protect him. The monsters flew around screeching and there were more shots. They disappeared into the center of the room were there was a large cavern in the floor.

Cara was panting her body arched over the boys, her forearms on either side of his face. She felt something hot run along her arms. She pulled back to look at the child and froze. Ali lay dead beneath her. A gruesome wound on his throat caused him to bleed out even during her effort to save him. Cara paled as she stared into his dead blue gray eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling.  
"Ali!" Imam cried out pushing around Johns and Riddick. Car used her body to hide the boy. Her fingers closed the boys eyes before she rolled off, revealing the awful sight to Imam. Imam crashed to his knees and cried out.

Cara was practically dragged away. It took her a moment to realize it was Fry and Riddick. Shazza walked a little deeper into the room with Johns at her side. Paris was in the sunlight outside not willing to enter the other two children at his side. Jack was in the shadows staring at the body. Cara called to him, "Jack!" He started from his shock and walked out with her as Riddick took her full weight.

Fry turned to the boy, "Try to find fresh clean cloth!" Jack ran off and they sat her next to the water source the turned it on and began cleaning her. Most of the blood on her arms wasn't hers but there was also blood from the monsters staining her top and in her hair. It was blue and almost jelly-like blood and she felt her skin crawl.

Fry's hands fumbles the catches on Cara's sheaths and Riddick gently pushed her away. His nimble fingers made quick work and Cara tried not to watch his face as he eased them off her sore shoulders. Cara noticed that both her shoulders really hurt, too much forward rolls on rocks recently.

Riddick sat back and Fry pulled Cara's shirt off. She was lean like a runner but he saw that she had some scars, one larger on her side and another just over her heart. She turned and he saw her back was riddled with little scratches from the creatures trying to climb her. As well as five star shaped scares on her back.

Fry gasped, "Cara. How did you say you made a living?”

Jack ran up and stared at her. “Cool."

Cara felt a smile tug her face. She turned to Fry, "Anyway I can." Cara winked at her and took back her shirt. Before she could tug it on Riddick's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Let me just clean them out." He took the cloths from Jack and began to pat her back with a damp rag. The cool water was refreshing. But Cara couldn't stop feeling the heat of Riddick's hand. She shivered slightly but stilled.

Fry bound her arms on the deepest scratches and stood up. Her face looked troubled but she tried to hide it. "I'm going to find Imam. Meet back at the ship?" Cara nodded.

Riddick worked in silence. Jack flitted about, "What's that scar from!”

He pointed to one on her hip. Cara subconsciously rubbed it, "Jumping through a window.”

He pointed to the one over her heart, "An ex-lover stabbed me.”

She felt Riddick's hand jerked. "What about these." His hands brushed the bullet wounds on her back. She swallowed hard and his hand went to the lowest. Just above her right hip.

"My mother." Jacks mouth dropped open his smile gone, Cara stood and turned to Riddick. His face unreadable. "I need to find another shirt." She walked off toward the room she had visited before. As she entered the room she fingered some of the knots out of her hair. She frowned at herself. Why would she say anything about her life, it was a disaster from the beginning. She knelt and rummaged through the clothing draw.

She felt Riddick come up behind her as she straightened. She watched him in the mirror and was reminded of before, with Johns. But if it had been Riddick she wouldn't have thought it so much. She turned with the red spaghetti strapped shirt in her hands.

Without a sound he stepped up to her so their chest just barley grazed. She turned her face up to his and his gazed down at hers through the black goggles. Tentatively she reached up and hesitated her fingers millimeters from touching them. He leaned into her touch giving permission. She pulled them up to rest above his eyebrows. His own hands braced against the vanity on either side next to her hips.

His eyes swirled as he watched her examine him. Her finger traced his eyebrows the arched back to rest under his eye. "Does it hurt’?"

He knew she was referring to the light but his eyes dropped to her lips. "I don't think it will." He dropped his lips to hers. Cara's hand went to encircle his neck and her mouth opened to his. She felt his hand tangle in her hair turning her head up slightly for a better angle. His tongue found hers and they explored each other. He body pressed against her. She pushed at his hips slightly and without breaking contact hoisted herself onto the vanity. He gripped her knees and spread her legs to wedge himself against her.

She pulled away to gasp and his lips dropped down to her neck. Did she realize how good she smelled? How good she tasted? How soft her skin was? His hands ran up her back feeling the way her body flowed.

Cara grabbed his head and brought his lips back to hers. She moaned against his mouth while he groaned in the back of his throat. She was about to grind herself against him when they both heard a gasp. They turned to see Jack red as a beet spin around and cover his eyes. "Um!" He didn't know how to react. "Sorry but Fry's looking for Cara at the ship." He jumped forward in his haste to get away and ran into a wall. Righting himself he ran.

Riddick was still pressed up against her and she groaned in frustration. She pressed her forehead to his goggles and met his gaze. "We always get' interrupted." She hopped down forcing him to step back. She pulled on her new shirt and caught Riddick watching her. He was nibbling on his lower lip and his eyes roamed her body. Cara walked from the room knowing Riddick watched her ass and she realized something. Riddick wanted her just as much, if not more than she wanted him. A thrill of excitement ran through her.


	9. Chapter 9

Cara went back to the skiff but Fry was nowhere to be found. She frowned and went back to work. It was eerily quiet. Cara wondered where everyone was. She had been working for a while when she hear two voices with high stress levels approach. She stilled but they walked into the skiff and stepped over her as if she wasn't there. She settled in to listen.

"He can pilot?" Fry shook her head in disbelief. She stood with her arms braced against the support columns of the skiff while Johns sat in the Co-pilot seat watching the outside for signs of the others.

"Yeah, hijacked a prison transport, made a helluva good run 'fore I tracked his ass down." He almost sounded bored. He turned to watch Cara's lower body in the bulk of the skiff.

Fry shook her head and remembered how Riddick treated Cara earlier. She held out a faint hope for the man. "Okay, okay. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe we can use him to help with us navigate or something.”

Johns couldn't let Riddick be more important than himself to the group so he dashed her dreams right there, "He also figured out how to kill the pilot.”

She collapsed in on herself and sat down on the armrest of the pilot seat. "Look, you said we could trust him now, you said there was a deal Johns.”

He could tell he was losing her, "Now you may have noticed but chains don't work on the guy. The only way you people are truly safe is if he believes he's going free. Let's just say he stops…”

Fry cuts him off, "You mean, if he learns that we're gonna royally fuck him over…”

He cut her off as well, "Now why don't you listen to me for a second. If we bring the cells over at the last possible minute, when the wings are ready, when we know we're ready to launch…”

Fry looks at him with new eyes. "You know, he hasn't harmed any of us. Far as I can tell, he hasn't even lied to us. Just stick to the deal, Johns.”

Johns caught her off guard with his ferocity, "He's a killer. The law says he's gotta do his bid. Now there is nothing I can do about that. You hear me?”

She watches his face closely almost seeing through his good boy mask. Shaking her head, she looks off. "Your dancin' on razor blades here…"

He watched her, mask back firmly, "I'm not gonna give him a chance to grab another ship" He paused and dropped his eyes to her neck. "…or to slash another pilot's throat." He stood up and walked out of the ship. "Not on my watch." As he passed Cara he kicked her gently in the ribs, "Not a word out of you." He threatened and continued on.

Fry sat with her head in her hands and sighed. She turned to Cara, "Could you keep this between us? I don't want to panic the group and have them lynch Riddick or something.”

Cara nodded debating whether to say something, ultimately she had to insure Fry's help, her voice would keep the group together. She sat up and balanced her elbows on her knees, "I donna' wanna' shake your faith in the law man, but I think' ye should know." She waved a pair of wire cutters at the other women and glanced behind her, Johns was still nearby. "Johns isn't a cop. He's a merc. He donna' care about justice, he cares abou' the pay load on Riddick's head…" She hesitated. "And mine." Cara knew she looked guilty, "Sorry for not telling ye, but I'm wanted in some systems." She watched Fry process this. "I wouldna' never hurt anyone here…" She hesitated, "Okay that's a lie, I would hurt Johns but only cause he's a slimy bastard.”

She fiddled with her tool and let Fry think it over. "What about Riddick? Do you think he would hurt us?”

Cara gave it some thought, "No. I donna think so, but he might' no' help ye if ye in trouble. Ye folks haven't been to kind to him." She smiled at Fry. "He's actually nice when you talk to him. Just' gotta find the courage to." She sighed to herself and had to rectify herself, "Well, if he decides not to fuck with ya he's nice." Fry nodded.

Cara glanced in and checked the cords, "It looks like we can plug it in." She smiled as she gave the good news to Fry and the women grasped onto it. They dragged over the power unit and paused.

Glanced at each other, "Moment of truth." Fry said.

Cara plugged it in and there was a big spark and a small flame appeared on one of the hidden burnt cords. "SHITE!" She quickly smothered the flames before they could cause more damage.  
The burns on her hands stung and Fry came forward, "I got this.”

Cara stormed out of the ship and saw an unsuspecting barrel that pissed her off. She slammed her booted heal into it and it rolled over like the bitch it was, "Made a bollocks of it!" He foot connected with the dented barrel again. "Arsewise!" She kicked it hard one last time, "Pain in the hole piece of shite!" She turned throwing her hair out of her face and blowing on her hands, she had a good burn on the left palm near her thumb.

Riddick and Johns were just staring at her. Riddick was sitting on a crate with what looked to be grease on his head, she realized he was shaving. Johns looked sick slightly. "What ye' gawking at?" Cara snarled at them. Johns shook his head 'nope' and walked off. Riddick just shrugged. He pulled his shiv out and continued to scrap it against his scalp. Cara walked over next to him and plopped down into the dusty ground.

Riddick continued shaving, "What happened?”

She saw him miss a strip and stood up with her hand out to him. He hesitated and she grinned. Frowning he handed it to her and she stepped behind him and began getting the spots he had missed with the shoddy made shiv. "A blow back." Scrap. She leaned over and scraped off the edge of the shiv on the bucket in between Riddick's legs. Cara felt her chest brush against his shoulders and felt him tense slightly. She couldn't help the little torture she was doing to him. It was to fun. "Nothin' that' can't be fixed. Just frustrated and hot." She slipped in the double innuendo without thinking but smiled when she heard him scent her.

She finished up quickly with Riddick not saying anything more and then they heard a whoop from inside the shuttle, Fry yelled "Got it!" Cara smiled and Riddick stood up wiping his head clean. "Running a systems check and a hull integrity test!”

"Okay'. Gonna get some fresh air an' water." Cara called back. She watched as Riddick walked toward the ship. He was going to corner Fry. "Oi'." He glanced at her. "Donna' scare her too much, I like her." She winked at him, "Have fun." And walked off.

Cara decided to check on Shazza's progress with the sand cat. As Cara walked up Shazza jumped up and let out a cry of triumph. Jack who was sitting in the Cat laughed at the sight of an elated Shazza. Cara walked up and smiled at Shazza.

Shazza met her gaze, "Got the bloody dinosaur to purr." She grinned and took a swig of water. "What about you?”

"After a small fire we managed to get her goin'." She held up her hand and Shazza grimaced.

Jack practically screamed in Cara's ear, "Hey, didja' hear?" He talked so fast and so loud that Cara took a step back.

"Whoa, slow downa' now." Cara rubbed her ears. "What's' this now?”

"Hell." Shazza muttered under her breath. "Don't want to be the bearer of bad news but it seems like this planet experienced a solar eclipse.”

"Yeah. And the anniversary is coming up. Fry says there will be total darkness on the planet." Jack's excitement quickly dissipated. He had been excited to know he knew something before her but then the news was terrible and would most likely mean those creatures would come.

Cara rolled her neck and heard it crack. "Jus' what we need, a dead line." She rolled her shoulders and walked to the edge of the settlement and stared out over the horizon. At first she thought the hill off in the distance was a mirage. But then it moved. She blinked again and again, trying to get her eyes to focus. Finally her brain comprehended what it was. The outer rings of a planet. "Oi! Ye need to see this!" She hollered back to everyone. They all stood in shock. The bloody eclipse was happening right now!


	10. Chapter 10

"If we need anything from the crash ship I suggest we kick on. That sand cat's solar." Shazza said and hustled off to prep the Cat. She revved the engine as everyone hustled around she drove it out into the open and everyone climbed in. Cara swung on to the back using the bare framework for leverage.

She pulled Jack inside next to her. Jack looked around and saw everyone but two people, "Where's Riddick?" His voice was panicked.

"Leave him he wouldn't wait for us!" Paris clings to the cat for dear life. Riddick jumped from the roof of a nearby building and landing in the bed of the cat with a 'thunck' that shook the whole vehicle. Paris swallowed and refused to look at him, "Thought we lost you." He said trying to lace concern into the statement but fear overrode it. Riddick just glared at him.

Shazza called out, “Johns."

Cara couldn't help but notice that Fry seemed to care less at the idea of Johns not making it. Cara grinned to herself as Riddick slid over to her and Jack's side. Shazza swears and starts to pull away when Johns bursts from a door and grabs a hand offered to him. Halfway up he realizes it's Riddick. They pause and glare at each other for a second before Riddick pulls him into the bed.

Shazza is driving like a bat out of hell and the cat slams into the bones of an animal. They drove right through and under it like a tunnel, clipping the edges that got to close. Some of the children yelled out as the bones littered on top of them. Cara watched a transaction between Riddick and Jack. Jack had been watching him and placed the goggle over his eyes like Riddick not noticing the bones about to hit his head. Before Cara could warn him though Riddick pointed to the danger and Jack ducked in the nick of time. She saw Riddick hide a grin at the kid's attitude toward him and shook her head. What a strange friendship they were creating.

Shazza pressed her foot down as they rounded onto the flat lands picking up speed. Cara watched the planet rise up from the horizon, faster than any of them would have thought.

Shite. That's one big planet. Cara thought. She then stood to see how far the crash site was. Glancing between the two she realized they were gonna be caught in the dark.

The sand cat grindded to a halt and before it fully stopped everyone was already out of the vehicle. Cara followed Fry into the ship. Fry disengaged the cells from the ship and pulled them out half way. Riddick came forward and grunted as he hefted two onto his shoulders and headed back. They crashed into the bed of the cat and Johns gripped one of the awkward metal cells and wondered how Riddick had the strength to carry two. Between Imam and Cara they hefted the last cell into the bed.

Cara stalled to look at the planet that was causing the world around them to darken. In the twilight Cara's eyes landed on Jack. In the softer light Jacks eyes showed a femininity the harsh light before didn't show. Cara started as she realized Jack was a girl. A little gawky but her personality, some of the things she said at times… Jack was a girl in hiding, her figure hidden by pre-pubescence and baggy clothing.

It grew much darker and the outer ring finally slipped over the sun. Cara heard Shazza talking to the sand cat as the engine died, "Just a few minuets you piece of shit." On the tail end of her sentence a loud screeching was heard by all. Everyone stilled and quickly turned around looking for the source of the sound. It's getting louder and louder almost as if they are getting closer.

Cara watched the hallow spires and shivered as a particularly loud screech reminds her of the coring room. Imam beside her flinches as well remembering his son and fearing for his other two. Cara's face paled as the small bat like creatures poured from the spire-tops. They could just barely be seen in the dime twilight. There were so many of them that they seem like smoke or ash floating in the air. Stretching their wings in the new darkness.

Johns is the first to speak and it's to Riddick as the others shift nervously. "How many are there?" His voice is grim and tinged with fear.

The night monsters continuously flew into the sky, filling the sky with thick waves. Mercifully, the hatchlings seem to be moving away in a circular pattern. Almost like a group of birds would. The calling out to each other never seemed to stop. Cara took a step closer to Riddick, he was the closest to the danger. She strained to hear his answer but all she heard was him whisper, "Beautiful." In an awed voice.

She saw Imam grip his boy tighter to him and saw him mouth the words, "Allah, please." Just as a small group of the pterodactyl like monsters tore off from the others and headed toward them.

Paris's voice startled them out of their reverie "People, just a suggestion but perhaps you should flee!”

"Let's go!" Fry yelled as she grabbed a war pick out of the sand cat and made a run for Paris. Everyone tore off.

Shazza hesitated not wanting to leave the Cat but she punched it and yelled “SHIT!"

Riddick had waited looking at the little carnivores. Cara stayed by his side and once he noticed he grabbed her arm and ran. They ran together side by side easily keeping pace with each other. Riddick had a moment to marvel that she would actually be faster than him if he let go. But he didn't, he wanted to keep her.

"Come on!" Paris yelled in panic. Imam, the boys, Jack, Fry, and Johns made it in but watched as the bats picked up speed.

"Get down!" Fry yelled afraid for them. Riddick directed Cara into a deep grove the ship made when it crashed and pushed her so she fell into the earth. He pitched himself forward and landed next to her. Shazza grunted as she did the same.

Cara watched the rest of the group and gripped a fist full of dirt. How she wanted to run to them but she waited. Her instinct of flight overruled by her instinct telling her it wasn't over yet. Her breath puffed out and a little cloud of dirt flew into the air. She looked at Riddick who had been on his side he quickly turned onto his back and Cara dropped lower into the dirt. Shazza pushed off the ground to try to make a break for it.

Cara listened to Jack desperate cries, "Just stay there! Shaz! Just stay down!" She gritted her teeth. There was nothing she could do. Cara watched as Paris held the young girl back, thankful for the first time that he was there. The monsters swarmed around Shazza. Cara heard Jack screaming as Shazza cried out in pain.

Without thinking Cara pulled a blaster and waited. They began to tear Shazza in two at the waist and just when the shot was clear Cara fired. Killing Shazza with a shot to the head. Her tortured screams cut off while Jack's continued. She watched as the people in the ship comprehended what she did. A mercy kill.

The screeching didn't stop, it only grew more intense as they feasted on their meal and flew away with the dead body of a compatriot. Riddick stood and Cara joined him. Her face grim as she holstered her weapon. He brushed the dust off himself and watched as Cara's face turned to one of serenity. She brushed the dust off like this was what she did every day. Riddick would never say it but what she had done was compassionate and he wished she would do the same for him if it ever came down to it. Together they walked calmly toward the group.

Everyone in the ship stared at her in horror. Paris was griping Jack in fright and shock but loosened when the immediate danger was gone. "Please I think we should go inside now." He dragged Jack inside, "We have to be inside to close the door, come on and let's go!" He herded the children deeper inside, "Go, go, go.”

Cara, Fry, and Riddick were just about to go inside when the heard a hooting. All strained to listen as the heard rocks crumbling and then deeper calls from the earth. The spires were crumbling making the mouth bigger and slowly larger versions of the bat creatures emerged and took to the air.

"What is it Riddick. What is it now?" Fry's voice was soft but Cara was impressed. No fear just some dread and a resolve. She knows better than anyone what is making that sound. She's heard it before in the grave.

Riddick balanced his goggles above his eyebrows and watched in fascination, "Like I said, it ain't me you gotta worry about." The sun gave one last bright shin and then completely disappeared behind the other planet. Cara swallowed hard and full darkness descended and she listened to the calls from the monsters in the dark. They all jumped into the cargo container and slammed the door shut. Fry locked the door and moved away from it.

Johns turned the light that was on top of his gun on and shined it around the cargo hold. Cara heard someone clicking a lighter, again and again the hands fumbled. Click. Click. Click.

"She shoulda stayed down. If she only she stayed down she woulda been okay." Jack's mournful voice called into the darkness. "She woulda died.”

People thunked around the container trying to get their bearings’. Johns voice came from behind the light, blinded the others a little, "'Member that boneyard? These just might be the fuckers that killed every other living thing on this planet.”

Imam's boys began to murmur in Arabic and Jack's voice came again. "What're we gonna do now?”

Paris lighter finally caught and he stammered, "Are these the only lights we have? Is this everything?”

"No there a cutting torch somewhere here on the floor I just can't find it." Fry was on the floor rummaging around looking for it. Cara nearly stepped on her before she began the search.

Imam found a flashlight and turned it one. A strange clicking sound came from the wall next to him, "Wait! Quiet, please. Everyone." He placed his head to the wall and the older of his sons did as well. The others piled up alongside, ears tuned like radar. Straining to pick up any sound. A clicking swept past just on the other side of the wall.

Jack whispers so softly, "Why do they do that? Make that sound?”

"Perhaps… it's the way they see. With sound, reflecting back." Imam's voice was loud in comparison to Jack's. Then a loud scraping noise came from the far end. Cara jumped forward being the closest to the noise Riddick at her side. The creatures clacked something hard along the wall. Listening to the echoes that came back to them.

They froze wondering if one of the monsters had gotten inside. Fry inched towards it, "Breach in the hull. I dunno.”

"Come on Johns, you got the big gauge." Riddick said with a grin as he gently pulled Cara behind him. He held out an arm to stop Fry from going any farther in than him.

Johns made sure he had a clear shot but moved no closer. Fry looked at him expectantly while he said, "I'd rather piss glass. Why don't you go fucking check?”

Paris was shaking like a virgin on her wedding night. "I'm not staying here one more second." He rushed toward the door.

"Where the hell you goin?" Johns called but it was Fry who grabbed him.

Shoving him up against the wall hard she growled out, "Christ, you don't know what's out there!”

He trembles as he looks at her "I know what's in here!" He struggles as Imam takes up Fry's war pick and starts wedging it and hitting an access panel opposite the door.

It crashed inwards and he grabs his sons shoving them through. "Hurry!" Johns rushed forward and quickly 'clears' the room.

"Now we're trapped in a much smaller space! I hate this." Paris whined.

"What' are ye goin' on about, I love it here, Might make it me second home." Cara snapped at him and slapped him upside the head. He shut up instantly. They all quiet down as more scratching was heard. The monsters were testing their protected edges. Imam was pressed up tight against the door and suddenly without warning a large talon burst through the metal next to his head. He screamed and ran away from the door as the strange serrated talon retracted.

Everyone suddenly ran to Cara and huddled around her. She grunted suddenly as Paris's lighter almost burnt her arm. The children were at her back with Jack holding her other arm and Fry squawking down in front of her. She saw Riddick scoop something up from the ground and jump toward Paris. He light the cutting torch using Paris's lighter without him noticing until he heard the whoosh. Paris started and relaxed when more light flooded the room.

Johns shot gun sounded as he shot at the door. More creatures whooped at the prospect of food and they heard multiple scratches at the door. At this point Johns was weakening the door more than injuring the monsters so he stopped.

Riddick was on the other side of the group cutting into another chamber of the cargo hold, hoping no creatures were waiting on the other side. He cut quickly and with skill, soon a hole was made and he kicked the metal sheeting out. He handed the blow torch to Fry and crawled through, glancing around to see if there were any threats. Assuming it was clear the rest of the group followed. Riddick disappears deeper into the container and Cara quickly follows. The others quickly barricaded the makeshift door.

Cara's night sight wasn't half bad as long as there were a few iotas of light she could walk without hitting anything. She was ten paces from him when he froze. She did as well not wanting to distract him. Then she heard it too. A squishing sound.

She followed the sound to the right and up. She saw shadows moving and she slowly stepped back into the shadows wedging herself against the cargo not moving a muscle. The predator was crouched atop a stack of cargo eating one of the smaller ones. She can see the things face in the little light provided. Its head was like that of a hammer head shark. Wide arching bones created an arrow like face with the lower half of its face being a mouth with multiple sets of razor sharp teeth. She watched a heavy bone blade shoot out from its arms stabbing a piece of the little one up into it's mouth. Hungry after the long hibernation they must eat whatever was in the path. She sees Riddick follower her lead and disappear into the shadows slowly.

She heard a set of footsteps coming their way and wanted to call out a warning but can't. It's one of Imam's boys. She was really going to have to talk to Imam about this, they can't keep exploring on their own! How many have to die before that's apparent!

The predator drops its food and the child gasps jumping back very close to Riddick's hiding place. "Extremely. Bad. Timing." The child again gasps at hearing Riddick's voice. The predator examines them back and forth, inspecting. The child begins to breathe heavily. "Just don't run.”

"Riddick?" Fry calls out after noticing he's gone.

"Don't stop burning." He calls out to her. Then the crates at Riddick's back start moving. A predator creeps up over the rim, looking down at them. The creatures hiss at them and slowly the bone blades extend. Riddick pulled back into the shadows, "Car. Don't." The nick name jarred Cara and she froze. The predators jabbed at the boy scaring him like a rabbit. He got ten steps before another predator jumped out of the shadows ripping him in two with its tail. The other two jumped off the crates and joined in the feast.

Cara ran to Riddick and he grabbed her hand and ran into the shadows. A fourth predator jumped from the shadows forcing them to dart right. It put them on the path back to the group and the light. The predators whooped their delight as Riddick and Cara ripped around the corner. Johns was there with his light, blinding Riddick. He cried out at the pain it caused his eyes and he stumbled. Cara crash tackled him to the ground and out of the way of gun fire.

The monster jumped into the light and gunfire, screeching as both hit it. It tried to jump away but Johns unloaded five shot-gun shots into the thing. Cara looked up from where she straddled Riddick's back. He was positioned like he was going to do a push up and she was on his lower back hunched over him with her arms braced on either side of his head. They froze listening for any sounds.

The others rustled around and then screamed loudly as the monster dropped down in front of them. Jack let out a very girly scream but everyone thought it had been Fry. Riddick jumped up, lifting Cara like she weighed nothing. It practically threw her into a standing position and he stayed crouched ready for an attack. Cara had a moment to realize that she had drawn her weapons without even realizing it when Riddick popped her up.

"Is it dead?" Fry whispered when the thing didn't move. Johns looked around for another threat and reloaded as quickly as possible. Fry's flash light ran over the thing slowly examining it. A hissing sizzling sound could be heard. Wherever the light touched the creature it caused an allergic reaction, bubbling skin and bleeding.

Paris watched in wonder, "It like the light is scalding it.”

Fry's eyes widen, "It hurts them. Light actually hurts them." It twitched causing everyone to flinch.

Then clicking and whooping noises could be heard farther into the container. Everyone stared and it is Imam who calls out, "Is that Hasan?”

"We'll burn a candle for him later." Johns says as he turns back. "Come on. Lets get out of here." He kicks in the panel they had cut and ducked inside.

It was a smaller container but obviously secure. Once inside they shoved the heaviest cargo against the hole and boarded it up. They all sat around the blow torch that was balanced on a piece of luggage.

Cara watched Jack staring at the light. Hugging her knees as tightly as she could. She was frightened but refused to complain. Tough little girl.

Fry spoke also staring at the light. "So we got one cutting torch, two hand-lights, there's gotta be something we can rip outa the crashed ship…”

Paris spoke up "Spirits. Anything over 45 proof burns rather well.”

Fry watched him put his glasses on top of his head. "How many bottles ya got?”

Paris fanned himself, "I don't know. Maybe ten?”

"Okay." Fry turned to Johns, "Johns you got some flares?" He raised his eyebrows at her. "So. Maybe we got enough light.”

"Enough for fucking what?" Johns asked.

Fry glares at him, "We can stick to the plan. We get the four cells back to the skiff, we're off this rock.”

Paris stood and walked over to Fry, and sat next to her, there was more light around her anyway, "Look, I hate ruin a beautiful theory with an ugly fact, but that sand-cat is solar won't run at night.”

Fry looked down at her hands, "So we carry the cells, we drag them, whatever it takes.”

Cara sees Jack turn toward Fry like a flower to sunlight, "You mean tonight? With all those things still out there?”

Johns shifts nervously. "Alright hold on, how long can this last? Few hours? A day tops?”

Imam fingered his prayer beads, "I had the impression...from the model... that the two planets were moving as one. That there would be...a lasting darkness." His voice was hoarse from the emotion of losing another son.

"Those suns gotta come up sometime. And if these creatures are phobic about light, then we just sit tight. And we let the sun come up." Johns glanced around the group.

Fry glared at him, "I'm sure somebody else said that. Locked inside that coring room.”

A persuasive thought, Johns eyes narrowed as he tried to come up with another angle. His eyes lighted on Jack, "Look, we gotta think about everyone now. Especially the kid. How scared is he gonna be out there in the dark?" At the mention of her, Jack looked up and the expression on her face, it was obvious she didn't like being used as an excuse.

Fry hooked her thumb in her belt loops. "Oh, don't use him like that.”

"Like what?" Johns's voice held a warning.

"As a smoke screen, you deal with you own fear.”

Johns eyes narrow, "Why don't you shut your mouth for two fucking seconds and let me come up with a plan that doesn't involve mass suicide." The creatures whoop and scratch all around as if sensing the turmoil within.

Fry grinds her teeth. Two seconds later, "I'm waiting." He just glared angrily at her. "How much you weigh, Johns?”

He shifts, "What does it matter Caroline?”

Her voice rises, brokering no argument, "How much?”

"Around 79 kilos to be exact.”

Before he even finished she snapped, "Because you're 79 kilos of gutless white meat, and that's why you can't come up with a better plan.”

Cara bursts out laughing and Johns pulls his gun to show Fry how fucking wrong she was but Riddick stood up right in his way and Cara attempted to stifle her laugh. Instead of pointing his gun at Fry he switches targets to Riddick placing his shot-gun under his chin. "Where you think you're going?" he growled out at Riddick.

Cara eased around behind Johns with only Jack and Fry noticing.

Imam scowls, "This solves nothing.”

Before answering Riddick moved his goggles and looked at Johns with a smile eyes glinting. At tapping noise drew Johns eyes down to his own crotch were Riddick had his shiv placed. Johns nodded and lowered his gun. Stepping back almost running into Cara's blade. She re-sheathed it before he noticed.

Riddick met her eyes and she couldn't help but smile at him remembering earlier when she had done the same to Riddick himself. She tried not to laugh. She looked at Jack but the girl was still scared. Cara walked up to her and knelt in front of her. "They' are afraid of out light'. Tha' means we donna have ta be afraid o'them. One rule." She gripped the girls hands tightly, "Stay in th' light’."

Imam was unwilling to let himself believe again, that they might survive this terrible ordeal. "And you are sure you can get us there? Even in the dark." He addressed Fry and she stood up straight.

She stuck to the truth looking him right in the eye. "No I can't." Cara smiled as she already knew what Fry was going to say. Imam's head dropped in defeat and then Fry spoke again, causing hope to flare, "But he can." Riddick turned to see Fry staring right at him, confidence and trust on her face.

It was a great responsibility she just gave to him. His warning came back to Fry just then, "I do know that once the dyin' starts, this little psycho family of ours is gonna rip itself apart. So you better find out the truth. Come nightfall, you better know exactly who's standing behind you." This was the moment he spoke of. The moment all hope could be lost. And she gave it to him to decide. Fry had his back when push came to shove.


	11. Chapter 11

Cara felt the adrenaline rush. They were about to leave safety and enter a land of purity. You live or you die. Her palms itched to hold her knives. It reminded her of right before a job. And that's what this journey became for Cara, a job.

She took inventory of her body. She had stopped bleeding some time ago, but with her heightened senses she could still smell blood on herself. She stretched slightly loosening any tight muscles for optimum movement. She recalled the rout they would have to take and couldn't help the little manic grin cross her face. The valley would be the kill box.

Johns passed her and saw. For the first time he became more concerned with Cara than Riddick. Maybe she really was completely off her rocker.

Riddick paused next to her. He just looked at her. Cara rolled her eyes, "Donna tell me you can't sense it?" He waited. "No' all o' us are gonna make it. Johns especially." Her voice was pitched so low that only his developed sense of hearing picked it up. He frowned and wondered if she could be a little more like himself than he originally thought. Planning ahead was one of the reasons he was alive and for some reason his instincts told him Cara knew something like this was going to happen. Riddick's instincts never lied.

Fry slid open the door and thrust the cutting torch out into the open. She waved it around, her levels of fear off the charts. Cara's nose flared as she scented the group. They were all so scared. She recalled the way these creatures had stalked their pry before attacking. "Look up." She commanded Fry. Fry quickly cleared the roof and then stepped out into the open. Johns followed closely, gun at the ready. Imam had his boy clutched closely to his side while Paris lugged his liquor around. Jack was close to Fry and they shuffled together toward the main body of the ship and the power cells.

Riddick and Cara follow close to the edge of the light. Her night vision better away from the light but she wasn't complete willing to go into the darkness. Whooping and screeching picked up as they made their way, picking up the pace a bit. Cara's eyes picked up movement and the creature ran up testing the perimeter of the light. Smart little buggers and stealthy creatures as well. Two very dangerous combinations, Cara and Riddick knew best of all since they shared those traits.

The group reached the main cabin but it was pitch black inside. "Riddick!" Fry called out to him. He skirted the light with Cara at his side. There was a silent agreement between the two, we'll call it a convicts pack of sorts. Because sometime you just needed someone on your side.  
Cara is at his back when he lifts his goggles. He looks around a little but can't truly see, there's a lot of wreckage in the way "Looks clear.”

Johns shoulders forward bumping Cara out of the way. She makes a sound of protest but then her instincts scream. She smiles a bit and places a hand on Riddick's forearm. Riddick trusts her enough to allow her to gently pull him to the side.

Just as Johns stands up straight in the main pathway a predator drops from the ceiling and screams as Johns light hits it. It lunges at them more to get to the night sky than to eat them. Johns throws himself to the side and Cara tugs Riddick into a crouch.

Johns lands on his back and glares at Riddick, "You said ‘clear'."

"I said it 'looks clear'." Riddick snapped back.

"Well, what's it look like now?" He looks at the cabin.

Cara and Riddick both lean over as one and glance in, both leaning on they hands for balance. They looked at each other and shrugged at the same moment. Riddick turned to Johns, "Looks clear.”

They scramble aboard. Fry runs to the power cells and puts what little energy is left into the cabin lights saving one extra power cell. Imam slides a piece of metal over and both Fry and Cara get to work on splicing the rope lights pulled from the ship to one of the power cells. With some tape they get everything in place and turn on the power cell. Slowly light flows through the cord and everyone feels slight hope. They may actually survive this.

Imam, his boy, and Riddick get the power cells from the sand-cat and put them in the sled. Paris was condensing his alcohol and placing wicks into the necks of the bottles. Fry listened to Riddick as he explained how they were going to do this. "I'll be ten paced ahead, I want light on my back but not in my eyes. And check your cuts. These bad boys know our blood now." Cara sees a slight panicked look on Jack's face. She's been very quiet since this whole thing started and Cara felt slightly guilty that she hadn't talked to her.

"Oi." Jack looks at her over the light. "I got ye'." She took out one of her lesser used knives and handed it to her. Cara would never give her a gun, well not without training. But the fact that Jack had a knife, just any type of weapon gave the illusion of safety to her. Cara knew how that felt sometimes. Cara winked at the girl and told her to hide the weapon but keep it in ready reach and finished her job of preparing the sled.

Everyone regrouped at the door and Riddick pushed it open. Whooping called out to them and Paris shifted nervously, "Are we actually going to do this?”

Fry looked at him and said with confidence she didn't feel, "We stay together, we keep the light burning." She starred at the darkness, "That's all we gotta do to live through this thing.”

A few minutes later their little convoy set off. The slow paced jog Riddick set had both Imam and Johns panting almost instantly, they were doing most of the work by dragging the heavy cells. Fry and Jack were off to the sides and Paris was just behind Jack with the torch. Again Cara was glad for the extra light around the little girl. Imam's boy was at the back but stayed in the full light. The rope lights curled around each of their chests tying them to the sled. They were a train of light.

Cara ran slightly behind Riddick. She wanted to yell at everyone for being so loud but then she remembered that they didn't know how to move in silence like a killer or a thief. She twitched as she sees the creatures parting for them in complete silence. They don't have to make any sounds, the people are making enough noise that the creatures can just see them. Holy Fuck! Cara thinks but refused to voice it and add to the mess.

They continue on for a while but Cara hears a slight popping noise from behind and the light dim. She turns to see Paris's terrified face staring at the dead blowtorch. Imam forces him to continue on, "Stay close!" They start forward when Paris grabs one of the alcohol bottles and accidentally knocks out a flare.

Jack's voice grabs Cara's attention, "Wait!" By the time Cara turns Jack is running to the very edge of the light making a grab for the flare. The monsters whoop in delight and start circling in the air calling to each other. Johns drops the sled and grabs his gun.

Fry yells out “Jack!"

Imam is the one to rip off the cord light they all have wrapped around them and dive for the girl. He grabs Jack just a predator dive bombs the group and Cara watches as everyone scatters. She pulls a gun and fires at the ones closet to Jack injuring them into running away. Johns is firing in the other direction and Cara sees Paris scramble off into the darkness, "Thiscan'tbehappeningthiscan'tbehappening…" He crawls away from the group.

"Paris get back here!" Fry yells. He keeps going and his cord drags down the power source for the rope lights. Save for a few flashlights they are in darkness. "Shite." Cara said in a dead pan voice. She just sat crouched next to Riddick and waited. She heard him scratch at his chin with a shiv. The hum of power faded and the creatures whooped in delight.

She angled her head toward Paris and heard a flapping of wing. Knowing how these animal liked to attack she assumed it incapacitated him with its tail. I heard a gasp from him. Then she heard the click of his lighter and she could see his far off gazing at a glistening on his hand. Blood. He looked up at the darkness. "I was supposed to die in France." Cara believed that only her and Riddick were the ones to heard. They were the only ones watching. He took out his flask. "Never even saw France." He took a mouthful. But instead of swallowing he blew it at the flame of his lighter and collapsed forward. In the flash of light her eyes widened as dozens of predators were revealed all around him. Darkness returned and a thick sucking and crunching sound began.

"Eww." Cara whispered.

"At least you can't see." Riddick whispered back.


	12. Chapter 12

Cara flinched when a flare light up. Her eyes screamed when she looked at it. The strange green light showed the two children, lighting the alcohol candles and Imam looking around fearfully.. Johns pointed his gun at every sound in the dark. Riddick stood and walked over to the group but Cara stayed away not wanting to ruin her night vision. Riddick didn't have to worry about the adjustment period but she did. She kept herself on alert and watched the shadows bob around. Cara did step back when the green light didn't seem to deter the predators as much.

"Well it's good to see you two alive and well." Johns voice sounded disappointed and Cara couldn't help but roll her eyes. Riddick didn't even respond but watched as the predators ripped Paris apart, studying their movements. He noticed they only had two legs like a birds and used the tails for balance. They also seemed to have a blade or a rattle in their tails.

Fry moved toward him, "Do I even want to know?" He shrugged and then some noises echoed around them. Cara watched Riddick as he stiffened. She watched him stare at Jack only for a moment but she knew. The predators calls where specific to what they were doing. Cara realized that when they wanted to 'see' they whooped, when they were hunting a target they coughed, and when they ate they screeched. The way Riddick watched Jack made Cara nervous.

He walked back to Cara and they fell into step together. Before she could voice her worries he growled out, "It's the girl.”

Cara felt her stomach drop, her mind jumping over the most likely possibilities. Then she remembered Jacks reaction in the ship to Riddick's comment about blood. "She's bleeding?" She palmed a blaster and kept it at the ready. "We canna leave her h'ere Riddick. I promised her we wouldna." And if it's one thing she would never break it was a promise to a child. Cara's eyes darkened as she thought of all the 'promises' her mother made to both herself and her sister. Never again.

The group walks for a while when she starts to hear a lot of noise ahead. It's echoing all in a canyon and she basically can feel Riddick taking them in a circle. She watches his face and she can tell it's a grim sight. What she would do to have his eyes for one second. "How bad’?"

He turned to her slightly, "Trying to find a safer way…", he shakes his head.

“Bollocks."

Fry's holler brought Cara out of her dark spiral, "Can we pick up the pace?”

Cara turns and sees Johns throw down his reigns. Imam comes forward and illuminates something on the ground. It's the sleds tracks. Johns walks up to the convicts angrily. "You wanna tell me what the hell's going on?”

With a jerk of his head Riddick signals Cara to go back to the group. She walks back to everyone as Fry tells Jack, "We crossed our own tracks.”

"Why have we circled? Are we lost?" Imam is angry as well but refuses to let it get the better of him. Cara watches him for a second and realized she actually liked the holy man. Two sons are gone, it obviously hurt him a great deal but he buried the pain to move on and deal with it later.

"Listen." Riddick says softly. Cara walks over to Jack's side and holds her hand. It startles the young girl but she doesn't let go, she grips tighter.

Imam needs to know, "Do you even know where we are?”

Riddick stands from his crouch, "Listen!" They finally shut up long enough to hear it. The crazy amount of sound coming from in front of them. They all stilled and Cara felt the stress level rise if it was even possible. "Canyon ahead. I circled once to buy some time to think.”

"I think we should go now." Imam said right next to Riddick. He light hurting Riddick slightly but he didn't say anything.

"Oh, I don't know about that." Riddick smiled slightly with a tilt to his head. "That's death row up there. Especially with the girl bleeding." Jacks hand convulsed in Cara's. But Cara tightened. Pulling Jack to her side.

"What?" Imam asked confused.

Johns glanced at Fry and Cara, "What the fuck you talking about their not cut.”

"Not them." He turned and looked right at Jack "Her." He was an asshole for doing it the way he did but they needed to know. To protect her.

Jack took a shuttering breath and hide behind Cara. Fry turned to Jack her mouth open.

Johns just looked at her and his shoulders sagged, "You've got to be kidding me.”

Jack looked at Fry's face, "I…I just thought it would be better if people took me for a guy." Her voice thickened, "I though they might leave me alone." Tears started. For a girl of her age to be thinking like that, Cara felt her instincts kick in. When Cara was but a girl herself, and a small one at that, sometimes the only defense was to have camouflage. To hide in plain sight. But she was on the streets to learn that. She had a feeling Jack may have been like herself.

Fry turned angry, "Jesus Jack! Why didn't y…”

Jack collapsed in on herself stopping Fry's rant, "So no one would mess with me." She muttered and Cara knelt down beside her. Knowing more than Jack thought.

Fry immediately came over and put an arm around Jack, "I'm sorry." She hugged the other girl slightly meeting Cara's eyes grimly. "I'm so sorry." She paused for a second, "Are you really bleeding?" She said very softly.

Jack cried softly. "You coulda left me at the ship. Coulda, if I said something sooner." She buried her head in her knees and Cara looked up to see Imam watching. His shock turned to grim worry fast. No anger. Just worry for the young girl.

"They've had a nose open for her ever since we left." Riddick continued and Imam glanced at him. Had this man known all along? Had he hidden it so that girl wouldn't be left? Had he been wrong? Riddick didn't stop speaking, "In case you haven't noticed they go off blood.”

Fry shivered and stood up. All her fears manifesting themselves all at once. "Look this is not going to work. We're gonna have to go back." He voice was shaky.

Cara looked at the sky, "Bollocks." She had been banking that Fry would keep them together. But if she let her fear get the better of her their group would fall.

Johns sensing weakness like a shark smells blood turned on her, "What'd you say?" He glared at Fry. "You're the one who got us out her in the first place and turned us into sled dogs." Jack shivered away from him as he advanced toward them.

"I was wrong." Fry claimed. "I admit it. Okay can we just get back to the ship." She was curling her shoulder sub-consciously, fear and submission.

He towered himself over her and Jack stood up just behind Fry. "I don't know Caroline. Nice breeze, wide open spaces, I'm starting to enjoy my fucking self out here." Cara was impressed that that Jack though to back Fry. Sticking by her.

Fry didn't take well to being talked at like that. Cara saw her back straighten. "What are you high again, just listen to yourself Johns?”

His movements got agitated. Cara eased out a knife, she sheathed her blaster not wanting to drag more attention from the predators. He voice was loud, "No, no, you're right, Carolyn. What's to be afraid of? My life is a steamin' pile of meaningless toad shit anyhow. So I say mush on! Canyon's only couple hundred meters, after that we're in Skiff City! So why don't you just butch up, stuff a cork in this fucking kid, and lets go.”

Imam not liking the why Johns was acting came over to Fry "She's the captain, we should listen to her.”

Johns saw the opportunity to take command. "Listen to her? When she was willing to sacrifice us all?”

Jacks voice is thick with tears and fear, "What's he talking about?”

Fry's face was astonished, "This does not help us, Johns.”

His voice overpowered hers, "During the crash she tried to blow the whole fucking passenger cabin, tried to kill us in our sleep.”

Fry's shoulder got rigid, "Shut your mouth!”

He yelled over her "We are fucking disposable. We're just walking ghosts to her!”

"Shute you fucking blowhole." Fry rushes him, ready to rip his eyes out. He shunts her aside and she crashes to the ground but he didn't even see Cara run forward. Her fist connected perfectly with his lip and he went down hard. Cara heard a breathed "whoa" from Jack behind her. Cara rolled her shoulder satisfied she got a solid hit. He was bleeding now.

Johns made a move to get up and attack Cara but Imam was the one to step up and yell, "Fine, fine, you've made your point. We can all be scared." Fry didn't move but stayed on the ground glaring.

Johns got up and wiped at his mouth with a thumb, "Oh Carline, how much you weigh now." His face was smug as he dusted himself off.

Johns walks away and lights a torch, "Verdict's in. The light moves forward." Silence met his command.


	13. Chapter 13

Imam and Fry picked up the reigns of the sled. Cara took the back. The two children took to either side of the sled. Jack wouldn't stop shaking. All of them were rattled.

So Cara did something very unlike herself. "Once upon o' time." Everyone started. Startled by her voice in the dark. "There was a tiny thief. She never' hurt no body. She never' stole from those wh' didnna have it commin. But one day, she got chaugh'. And as mosta stories go for a theif, she was sent' to a slam. There it was' dark. Cold. Heart'less. There she became a killer. Sent' to ta' needle she was. It was death row wit' her name on it." Fry turned to look at her and Jack watched Cara solemnly. Imam didn't say or do anything. Just continued to trudge forward his son at his side.

"What happened?" Jack asked. She felt the same just then, walking toward death.

"She wouldna give up." Cara's smile was ruthful. "She'd be damned if she lay down' an' die. So she ran. Escaped'. She never st'opped runnin." She shrugged a little. "But she's always headin toward da needle. Ta' tiny thief jus' learned when to hide and when ta pretend. But she lives." And she may be a little crazy for it. Cara thought with a grin. She watched Jack, "Got' ye back."  
Jack smiled for the first time since the sun descended. Her hands stopped shaking. She felt renewed strength go into each step. She could be like the little thief. Not just lie down and die, but she would fight to live. She was armed. She had Cara, which was more than the little thief had. Much more. "What are they doin up there?" Jack murmured her voice steady.

Imam thought about the story. It was wrong to take a life to steal. But he understood that to a girl like Jack it made sense. He understood that she drew strength from the story and Cara had given it to her. He begrudgedly smiled at that, "Talking about the canyon I suppose." He huffed and took a step, "How to get us through.”

Cara's ears pricked. Hearing Riddick's voice she closed her eyes and listened, actually able from this distance to pick out bits and pieces. 'Hack up', 'body', 'chum'. But she also hard something else. His voice was almost sarcastic. She stopped listening and realized that this was the moment. The moment that Riddick was playing Johns and was going to turn on him. Riddick turned around and meet Cara's eyes. She frowned at him, and she thought she saw him wink but Johns scolded him for turning around.

"Imam, slow down. Just a little more space between us and them." Cara watched Fry for a moment.

"Jack stay with Fry." Cara told her and Fry turned to her alarmed. "I'm jus' gonna eavesdrop a little." She took out a blaster and handed it to Fry. She winked at her and smiled, "Jus' in case.”

"Be careful." Fry told her.

Cara ducked behind some bones and quickly made her way to there shadows and ran in a large circle and slipped behind a rock. Her ears being her only warning system for predators attacking. Her eyes could make out shapes as the light of the group extended farther than they thought. She was in front of Riddick and Johns now. Cara saw Riddick look at her his eyes flashing. Cara blew a kiss at him and settled in. A knife in each hand.

"Alright, enough of this shit. You do the girl, I'll keep the others off your back." His voice was cold. Cara bared her teeth and growled a little in her chest. He was dead. He just didn't know it yet. Riddick slows to a stop his back to Johns. Cara sees the others stop a ways back. Johns smiles at Riddick's back, "It's not too big a job for you is it?”

Turning to Johns he looks at him, "Just wonderin' if we don't need a bigger piece of bait.”

Johns raises his eyebrows, "Like who?" The look on Riddick's face is enough. Cara sits up ready to intervene. Riddick slaps the flare away and spins around Johns grabbing his shot-gun before Johns can react. He tried to aim it at Johns but is blocked. Riddick pulls the trigger anyway and the sound is just next to Johns head, causing his ear to bleed a little. They fight over the gun and one shot goes into the air and another disappeared into the darkness just to Cara's left.

The predators are stalking toward the two. Whooping at them wondering how to get to them. Cara stills and waits. Not worried about the animals for once. She sees Fry and there small group grab the light and start running away, back to where they came from.

Still in close combat Johns has one hand on the gun and the other punches Riddick in the jaw stunning him. Johns gets in another shot to the back of Riddick's ribs. He pulled at the gun stretching Riddick's arm out and punched his elbow. Riddick's arm makes a gruesome popping gurgle and he elbow bends backwards.

Cara almost cried out until she remembered his shoulders and his first escape. To prove her right Riddick lands a perfect under cut to Johns jaw and he goes flying away almost into some sharp stones that would have killed him. Riddick grabbed his injured arms wrist and popped it back into place. Cara swallowed at the sight.

Johns stood up and slowly faced Riddick, who calmly removed his harness that had a flash torch attached to the back, giving away his position. He dropped it to the ground and the two men began to circle each other. Riddick tossed the harness close enough to Cara and she crawled over to it flicking off the lights.

When she glanced back Riddick had the flare to his back. It protected his eyes and blinded Johns. Johns eyes watched as Riddick pulled his shiv out and it was outlined in the green of the flare. He swallowed and felt fear trickle down his spine. He quickly pulled out his own knife.

"One rule." Riddick dogged and used the flare to blind Johns. He stabbed the hand holding the knife and backed handed Johns across the face. The knife went flying and Johns ate dirt. "Stay in the light." Using his position Johns concealed the baton he pulled out and turns in a low swing. He pulled Riddick's feet out from under him and when Riddick was on the ground he raised his arm to hit him but froze.

A sharp immediate pain was just under his arm in the soft skin of his pit. He couldn't move his arm without excruciating pain. His other hand came up to feel what the hell it was but encountered an object. A knife. A small black throwing knife. He tugged at it and dropped it onto the ground as blood flowed down his side. Predators all around screeched at the soon meal.

Johns tried to hit Riddick again but Riddick struck the baton out of his hand. Grabbing at his wrist. Johns grabbed Riddick shiv off the ground and attempted to stab him in the neck but again Riddick blocked growling out "Remember that moment." Riddick threw out dragging Johns with him pulling all of Johns weight out from under him. And in a reversal move Johns found himself on his stomach. Riddick straddled Johns but continued up and over him ripping Johns up off the ground into a standing position and then slashed cutting along Johns spine. Johns cried out in pain and fell forward.

The fight over, Cara stood and came forward standing just in the light close to Riddick. Riddick picked up the black knife and standing he said, "Shoulda never taken the chains off Johns." The man in question grabbed his shot-gun off the ground and reaching into his pocket for more shells. The green flare died and Riddick stepping into the darkness. Johns groaned in pain and Cara felt Riddick grab her hand and lead her saying, "You were one brave fuck before." He stepped back, "You were really bad ass." Cara watched as Johns panicked loading the shells and standing wobbly. Riddick continued but he stepped into the bones causing his voice to echo all around. "The chains…" Johns whipped around, "The gauge…" He pointed his gun at nothing, "The badge…" A predator screeched near Johns. "I told you to ghost me.”

Riddick pressed her up against the wall of bone and pressed himself against her as the screeching got closer and wilder. Her arms found their way around his neck holding him close. Riddick watched from around the corner as the predators stalked out of the darkness and stabbed at Johns. He gasped in pain while gurgling blood out of his mouth and then the creature cried out in victory and celebrated by biting Johns's head off.

Riddick closed his eyes and rested his head against Cara's. He sighed heavily breathing in her scent. He pulled back a little to look at her in complete darkness for once. It was the first time he actually got to 'see' her. He could see her high cheekbones and her full mouth. He remembered what it tasted like. He noticed her eyes were closed and she rested against him, completely calm and the predators were all around them. He pressed his lips up to her ear and felt the cold metal of her piercings against his lips. "Shh." He took her hand and led her out into the open, her eyes still closed. She trusted him completely to lead her.


	14. Chapter 14

Her heart was caught in her throat. Not for fear, or the fact that they were running full tilt without her even knowing in what direction, or the fact that some creatures got so close to her that she slashed with her blade. But because Riddick's hand held hers and at times he would yank her hard, slamming her up against his side. Or twirling her in the darkness until he held her just for a second before gently pushing her away and briskly run again. Sometimes she heard it coming and dodged on her own, other times she heard nothing but would find herself wedged up tight against his side. It was a deadly dance in the dark. And her crazy side loved it.

The adrenaline kept her hyper aware of him, the way he breathed, smelled, jumped, turned, grunted when he noticed something he didn't like. But what she liked best was that even in the darkest moments when she could see nothing else, she saw his eyes. It was like they had a light of their own that she could track. She would see them glancing all around and sometimes disappear when he turned his back on her. And she found herself waiting for… no… living for when she could see them again.

In the brisk few minute run she realized than she was starting to fall for him. And anger flooded her veins. I will in me bollocks. Cara thought. She couldn't be. Not with a man she knew virtually nothing about. Yeah he was very attractive alpha male type but she was never one to get weak in the knees for that. In fact she killed most of the ones she found attractive. Maybe that's what she was feeling. The need to kill him. No…it wasn't that. Her good mode turned glum as she realized she actually truly cared for him. Cara pulled the thoughts from her mind as she saw a light emanating from around a corner of some kind.

He pulls Cara to a stop and waits as they come stumbling around the corner only the alcohol bottles burning and no sled. Fry is looking behind when she turns and runs right into Riddick's chest. She lets out a startled scream.

Riddick is just watching them calmly, not even sweaty from their run, "Back to the ship huh?”

Jack jumps forward, "Wheres Cara!?" The panic in her voice echoed on Fry's face. Imam even looks concerned. Cara is surprised they would worry for her.

Cara steps out of Riddick's shadow, "Here lit'tle bit'." Jack throws herself at Cara and hugs her. "I'm alright'. Riddick showed me' the way." Cara sees Fry sag in relief. Knowing at that moment she never really trusted Riddick, but now it was cemented.

Riddick speaks to Fry slightly annoyed, "So everybody huddles together till the lights burn out? Until you can't see what's eating you? That the big plan?

It's Imam who voices what everyone in wondering, "Where's Mr. Johns?”

His silver gaze flickers to Imam, "Which half?" They all look sick to the stomach. And Cara realizes that the others didn't know who or what Johns really was.

"Gonna lose everybody out here..." She actually looked sad for Johns. Cara put her arm around her. Jack's eyes looked at the dark, "We shoulda stayed at the ship.”

Cara's voice was the one who spoke before Riddick said something hurtful. "He died fast'. And if we go' any choice, that's the way we should all go out’."

Riddick watched Jack for a second and frowned when her eyes glazed over. He pitched his voice softly for her, it was the most gentle his voice has been for quite some time, "Don't you cry for Johns. Don't you dare.”

Riddick lead them back to where they left the sled. All was quiet around them and everyone agreed to take a small break before continuing. Fry watched as Riddick walked off a little ways to what Cara thought was a corpse of one of the predators. He walked right up to it with no fear and placed his face close to it.

Fry looks at Cara, "What happened to Johns?”

Cara met her gaze, "He suggested somethin' we dinna agree to." She glanced pointedly at Jack. Fry's lips parted in shock and she walked over to Jack standing by her side. Jack was too busy trying not to cry and Imam's boy held her in the silence. Cara watched Imam walk over to Riddick and followed silently.

"Blind spot." Riddick whispered to himself as he studied the Predators bones.

"Shall we pray for them?" Imam asks.

Riddick is actually startled and drops on of the bones, his hand on his shiv before he realizes it's the priest. Riddick walks over to the sled and pulled it over to a large skeleton. Finding a little alcove that protected his back and sat down, power cells in front of him. Cara walked with them and silently sat in the dust and leaned back against the bone, letting her muscles relax. Her shoulders popped as she stretched but other than that she showed no interest in the conversation.

"I have already prayed with the others." Imam continued, "It is painless." He kneels beside Riddick. Cara watches him closely.

"It's pointless." Riddick rolls his eyes as he begins roping the cells together.

Imam smiled and shook his head, "Because you do not believe in God, does not mean God does not believe in you.”

Cara bared her teeth at him ready to hiss at him. But Riddick beat her to the punch, "You think you can spend half your life in a slam, with a horse-bit in your mouth and not believe." Imam snapped his mouth shut. Anger rode Riddick's voice and Cara stared at the shadows remembering her own past. And her own reasons for hating the mother fucker called god. "You think you could start out in some liquor store trash bin with an umbilical cord wrapped around your neck and not believe." He took his frustration out on the rope and power cells, tightening the rope till it groaned. "Got it all wrong holy man." He shook his head and tied another cell to the lead. "I absolutely believe in God." He silver eyes flickered to Imam. So he could see the rage in him, the fury of hate for god. "And I absolutely hate the fucker.”

Imam is solemn, "He is with us none the less.”

And Riddick turned mean, "Two of you boys are already dead. How much faith do you have left Father?”

Imam swallowed and turned to Cara. He opened his mouth to speak but she raised a hand to stop him, "Donna speak of him to me." She jerked her head to the others signaling him to go. He frowned at her but she continued. "If he were a man, and treated' me the way me' life has, I would have killed' him long ago." Her eyes were a cold pale blue almost like iced over water. Imam stood up abruptly and walked away quickly. Afraid for a moment.

Cara sat with Riddick as they each lost themselves in their thoughts. "Fuckin' pain in da hole." Cara huffed out. Running her hand through her hair. She pressed her head back into the bone feeling it grind into the scalp as her thoughts darkened.

Riddick watched her for a second and her face stilled and darkened. It was as if she iced over. She could kill with that face he thought.

He turned and finished tying off the cells and sat with her for a little while. Not saying anything. But they each got some form of comfort out of it.


	15. Chapter 15

Riddick walked up to the mouth of the canyon and the group paused. Cara stood at the back listening to all the predators. It was like the constant flow of the ocean, the noise would rise to a crescendo but then fall back to a slight rustling only to rise again. Screeching, hooting, rocks falling, whooping, crying, the sound of wind, all of it waved at them from the mouth of the canyon.

Cara's eyes fell on the people around her. By the end of this she would be surprised if half of them survived. Her eyes landed on Riddick's back. He sat crouched in front of them. Looking at their death.

Cara felt something coil in the pit of her stomach. A coldness. It would help her get through this without fear. She pushed whatever doubt that resided in her away. The warm bleeding feelings she had were disregarded. The objective was to get Jack and Riddick to the other side. Could she live with the others dyeing if it came to it? She felt guilty but the answer was yes. And then she pushed the guilt away. It was a hard life and these predators wouldn't care if one of their own died, which meant Cara couldn't either.

Riddick stood, "Only see one way. That way." He made a controlled gesture toward all the noise. Right through the middle. Fry ran her trembling fingers through her hair. Riddick's voice was confident, "It's our only way off this rock." Fry and Imam exchanged disbelieving looks, "Just keep the girl between you.”

He walked back past the group to get the cells when Imam asked "What about the cells?”

Riddick had been ready for this, "I'll take those." Fry looked at him in surprise but he already moved on. His eyes landed on Cara. Gone was the fun girl who peeked his humor, gone was the gentle women who hugged Jack, gone was the crazy killer who had fun just killing. In their place stood a woman made of ice. She stood stalk still as she watched the ground in front of them, planning. She slide the long blade from her back that was made for slashing and not the delicate blade work he was used to seeing from the small female. The blade had a metal arch the curved around the hilt, meant to protect the users hand from damage but he noticed Cara's had welded on spikes.

Cara slid off the harness that Riddick had thrown at her during his battle with Johns and handed it to him. He took only one flash torch and handed it back. He stuffed the light into his pocket and watched her shrug back into it. When he had worn it, the metal loop had been tight across his chest but on her it would slip off her slim shoulders. She used the sheath on her back to keep it in place, the flash torch in between her shoulder blades, the way Riddick had worn it. And when she moved forward she didn't just walk she glided to the front of the group, her boots making no sound.

Riddick couldn't help it. He scented the air in her wake and felt a thrill of excitement and death. She was strong. His own predator inside woke at that though. This entire time he had held himself in check but her dark side called to him. He recalled there mad dash through the night. The feel of her body pressed against him. He growled as she walked away from him but he also wanted to see her move.

"Will you be able to keep up?" Cara asked the air.

But Riddick could tell she was letting her eyes get used to the darkness and that she was addressing him. He slides his goggles over his face. "Follow Car. I'll be there." He spoke to everyone.

Without another word Cara took off. She slowed her run to a jog so they could keep pace as they entered the valley. She heard a scrambling to her right and drew her blaster. Between the two guns Cara had thirteen shots left. She would have to make them count. Up close and personal. She gripped her blade and gun tighter.

The predator made a screeching noise and was about to attack when Cara bolted at the sound and the movement of the predator. She ran four steps up the wall forcing the monster back because of her light. But instead of firing she waited. She felt her feet slipping and had to jump back. The predator bared his teeth at her and opened its mouth to whoop at her but the sound ended in a gargle. She shot the creature when it opened its mouth to scream. She twisted and landed easily on her feet and ran back to the group who had still yet to catch up with her. It had all happened in less than ten seconds.

It slammed into the ground so hard she heard something snap in its body but she kept moving. She heard a familiar sound of rushing wigs, but hundreds of them, "Ge' low!" she yelled out and started moving forward in a low jog. The mini predators came from around the bend in a rush a screams and flapping.

Fry yelped and Riddick yelled at them to stick with Cara. Who in turn glanced back to see Fry lift her torch lighting the little things on fire which in turn hit Riddick in their momentum. Cara growled at the women for hurting what was hers. Cara would ignore it for now.

Cara saw movement behind one of the bones that they would be passing soon. The predator was going to ambush their group. Cara examined the bones and ran up on of the sweeping arches of what looked to be a rib and jumped down over the edge landing on the predator. She used the momentum of her fall to stab her blade deep into the base of the predator's neck, severing its spinal cord. She pulled the blade from its body and in a one last ditch effort to kill Cara the beast tried to bite her.

Riddick turned the corner in time to see Cara deliver a bone shattering punch to the predators under jaw while the spikes ripping the skin and veins. She shook her hand out but quickly returned to the head of the group to lead them further into the canyon. He couldn't help the feeling of pride in his chest.

Cara frowned as she felt slight rain and looked at her arm. A blue fluid was falling from the sky. But she quickly recognized the smell. The beast's blood. Cara realized that they were getting too excited and were killing themselves as they flew around. She tried not to get any in her mouth.

"Do not look up!" Riddick roared and Cara glanced behind. "Do not look up!" Fry had stopped to watch for a second and Riddick had to tackle her out of the way of a falling corpse. Cara couldn't help but think maybe that would distract the monsters from eating the group. She continued forward and a monster crashed in front of her rolling on top of her. She grunted but used the momentum of the beast to throw it off her. She rolled herself away and used her gun scrambling on the ground slightly. It took four shots this time because the bloody thing was to close to the group, Cara couldn't wait for it to open its mouth and its skin was tough.

The group and even Riddick had pulled ahead but she ran to catch up. The group had frozen when confronted with a broken ribcage that Cara was sure Shazza had hit with the sand-cat earlier. It meant that they were close!

Riddick yelled at them to keep moving but pulled to the front of the group. Cara stayed at the back as everyone made slow progress through the wreckage. They dug themselves a path at one point and Cara used a rib bone to swing up and over the clog wedging herself threw a small crack to the other side to clear the area of predators and dig from the other side. The clear path was made and Riddick dragged the power cells grunting at the weight. Fry and the Jack made it through, Imam crawled through and as his son tried to he got snagged.

Cara heard screaming from the other side and quickly dived back the way they had come. She immediately saw the problem, one of the predators had a hold on Imam's boy. Its bone blade completely through the child's calf. Cara shot two rounds into the predator. It retracted the bone blade from the boy's leg and he collapsed.

Cara glanced at her gun, she was out. She threw it away; it was useless to her now and was just extra weight. Plus all her spare rounds were lost in the crash.

She growled when she saw he had dropped his light source but couldn't really blame him. Imam and Fry pulled him away and quickly bound his leg in fabric from Imam's robes. Cara watched over them and saw that Riddick had pulled ahead farther than he had thought. "Riddick, wait!" Jack yelled out to him.

Cara heard the predators whooping and she heard wings, "JACK!" Cara's voice called out and that actually stopped Riddick. Jack looked up in time to see the predator come at her and ducked under a piece of bone. The monster crashed full tilt into the bone breaking it so it curved above Jack as she lay screaming on the ground. It pecked at the bone chipping away at it with its hard frontal bone. Jack screamed out and Cara walked forward with a gun drawn.

She was able to squeeze out two shots, into the body of the predator, when another dive bombed Cara. She had a two second warning of rushing wings and pitched herself forward into a commando roll just as its tail lashed out. It caught her in a deep gash on her left arm. She hissed in pain and the creature circled her. Shite. It jumped at her and she raised her injured left arm and shot the creature threw its front teeth. Three rounds later it didn't even twitch.

She turned in time to see Riddick in close combat, under the creatures guard and he twisted at the waist with his shiv glistening blue in his hand. He disemboweled the monster and it cried out in pain and collapsed back twitching as it died. Cara felt her eyebrows rise in appreciation. He then walked over to it and snapped its neck with a violent jerk.

He stood over the body breathing heavily threw his nose, "Did not know who he was fucking with.”

Cara then looked at her arm. The wound was on her upper arm mostly just on the outside but the end closest to her elbow curved inwards. Rivets of blood ran down her arm and onto her gun only to drip off the mussel. She turned her arm and it gapped open at her but the cut was clean, if she got it sewed up in time it probably wouldn't even leave a scare. She hissed at it anyway and Imam came forward with a piece of cloth. He quickly bound Cara's arm while she kept an eye out. Riddick hurried back to the power cells and Cara followed as Imam grabbed his boy. They started walking at a fast pace and Riddick glanced at Cara's arm. It was bleeding through already but she didn't notice her eyes scanned the area.

The child fell with his bad leg and as Imam picked him up it began to rain. For a second Cara thought it was blood but it smelled fresh. It was real rain. Cara and Riddick stopped and she closed her eyes looking at the sky. She felt rage, "Fuckin' bollocks!" She screamed at the sky and Riddick chuckled.

He looked back at the Priest. "So where the hells you god now." Imam looked up at the sky as Fry and Jack tried to keep the light burning.

Cara raised her face to the sky and felt it cool her hot skin. It soaked her clothing and slicked her hair back straight. It was like being in a luke-warm shower. Everyone ran to the sides of the canyon and tried to find a ledge to hide the fire torched under. Riddick climbed a bit to see ahead and Cara stayed by his legs trying to blink the water out of her eyes. She could hear the commotion ahead. Her heart beat sped up.

"Riddick! Are we close?" Fry yelled over the rain.

Cara watched Riddick and for the first time he looked scared. He swallowed hard and Cara found her arm sliding around his leg. He glanced down at her up turned face and then looked back out. 

"Just tell me the settlement is right there!” Fry pleaded.

Riddick clenched his jaw. "We can't make it." On the tail end of his statement there is a scream behind them. They both separated and were ready just in time to see Imam's boy being dragged up the canyon wall. Imam tries to climb up the wall yelling something in Arabic. He tries until his nail are bleeding, he's screaming his pain into the rain and the calls from the predators answer him. Riddick stiffens and runs along the wall.

"HERE!" Everyone runs to him and Cara has to drag Imam away from cursing and yelling at the beasts. He's found a small enclosed cave. Cara is the last to dart in when Riddick slams the rock back in place.

Cara turns and throws herself at the rock "RIDDICK!" She cries out and slams her fists at it she drops her weapons in her hurry.

"Stay here Car. You're bleeding." He calls back.

"Why is he still out there?" Jack asks Fry. She just shakes her head.

Cara punches the wall in frustration and splits her knuckles open. She shouldn't be hiding she should be fighting. She paced in the small confined area and growled. The three leaned away from her, never seeing her so angry before, "He shouldna left' me." Cara muttered.


	16. Chapter 16

Cara was sitting on the ground her elbows balanced on her upraised knees and her head leaning back against the wall staring at the ceiling. Why would' he leave her? Maybe he was protecting her? But she was angry, she didn't need protection, not since she was a little girl and she would be damned if she needed it now. She stole to feed her little sister and herself. She lived through the slam at fifteen. She was tried as an adult after cursing out the judge. She escaped only to be shot by the one woman who was biologically supposed to love her, for a stupid bounty. No one cared for her. Not even her sister anymore, who the last time she saw her threatened to call the cops. No one gave two shits if she lived or died. In fact after her last few years of life, most wanted her dead. Why would he care?

Fry and Imam were combining the two bottles of alcohol into one while Jack sat closer to Cara hugging her knees to her chest shivering in the cold. Cara closed her eyes and listened to the cries from outside. Wondering if they were eating him.

Jack's voice cut through the patter of the rain, "He's not comin back is he?”

Cara's full mouth thinned and she started to gnaw on her bottom lip. Waiting. And Waiting. She hated it. Her muscles twitched to move. She started to fiddle with her knives and tossing them and catching them her eyes closing in the dim.

She stilled as one of the predators pecked at the bolder. Flapping its wings trying to gain purchase on the wet rock. The three of them moved away from the door but Cara didn't care. She watched the flame get lower and lower. The predators whopped outside and Jack grabbed onto Fry and her eyes landed on the torch slowly dying. Darkness descended once again.

Cara could hear their panicked breaths and some shifting. She saw them crouch down to retain what little warmth they had left.

…She saw.

She looked up for the light source. It seemed to be coming from little insects attached to the walls. She stood up in wonder. They looked like stars to her, beautiful stars. Imam reached up and cupped them gently in his hand. They wiggled and Cara couldn't help but think they were cute.

She smiled for the first time since Riddick left. "Bio'luminescence." She murmured.

"What?" Jack whispered poking the little grub.

"An organisms' abilit'y to naturally produce light'." Cara picked one up and held it close to her face. "Normally, in dark' environments', animals or insects can evolve ta' produce light'. It's the reason these lit'tle guys are alive, when evera'thing else is dead on this planet’."

"How do you know that?" Fry looked at her in shock.

Cara shrugged, "I read." She grabbed the empty bottle and popped one of the little grubs inside. Catching her drift they started climbing the walls collecting as many of the wiggly bodies as they could. Cara stuffed them into the bottle feeling grateful that the predators couldn't just kill anything. Using one of her knives she scratched the paper off the side of the bottle and the others began to fill the other bottle.

"Imam, help' me move ta' rock." They all froze. Staring at her. "I'll brin' him back.”

"I should go." Fry told her.

Cara frowned at her, "Would ye be able to kill him for it?”

Fry met her eyes, "Would you?”

They stood there in silence and Cara picked up her gun and placed it back in its holster and held her long blade in her hand while the other gripped the glowing bottle. Imam came over and pushed the rock with Cara's help. She stuck out the light bottle and heard a hissing as the predators ran away. She pushed the rock back into place and closed her eyes. Orientating herself. And then she ran.

She had split seconds to avoid objects coming at her, her speed was so fast. She jumped rocks, crawled up steep hills, and ducked under jutting rocks from the walls before she crested a hill that gave her a view of the settlement. It had taken her ten minutes of flat out sprinting. She saw light emanating from the center. The skiff.

Cara heard a screech from behind and threw herself down the hill. She slide and rolled and finally came to an abrupt stop with a sharp stone slammed into her back shoulder as the predator cried out its loss while flying high overhead. She might be bleeding from it, she didn't really notice because she rolled up in pain and started running again. The rain pelting down felt like needles.

She heard hoots and calls from around her and tried not to slip in the mud as she entered the settlement. It was easy to remember the route. She skidded to a stop in front of the skiff. It was all closed up and Riddick was in the front window staring at her. She panted out of breath for once on her mad dash to see him again.

He opened the skiff and the machine made a loud whirring noise. But Cara didn't care, light flooded the whole area around them. She limped to the back, cold and in pain. He stood blocking the entrance. The only wound on him was a small scratch on his chest and an angry burn on one of his shoulders. Cara looked like a mess, streaked with mud, her hair sticking to her neck, her wounds letting go rivulets of pink tinted water, one of the knees to her cargo pants was ripped and her shirt was beyond stained in predator blood, her blood and mud. Her chest ached as they watched each other. Was he going to leave her again?

"Strong survival instinct." Cara couldn't see his eyes, they were hidden behind the goggles. "I admire that in a woman." He gave her a half smirk as he tilted his head examining her. Cara couldn't help but be aware that the rain made her clothing stick to every curve of her body… and she was cold.

She sheathed her blade and dropped the glowing bottle trying not to show embarrassment and fighting the urge to cross her arms over her chest, "I promised them'. We' would bring back more light'." She brushed her hair back out of her face watching him.

"Did you?" He blocked the entrance by placing both arms out on either side of the entrance. “Hmm."

"I donna wanna play this game." She growled out at him.

He laughed out loud, "Life is a game little girl." He squatted down as Cara stepped forward almost touching the ramp. He frowned at her, "You're like me." He continued, "Life is one big joke. Why do you care whether they live or die, as long as you live?”

She mimicked his move, squatting down so she watched him from below, her body ready for when or if he decided to attack. "I donna know. But I know ye feel it too.”

He frowned and jerked his head in denial. "Nope don't feel it." He turned his head to the side watching her, "I got a better idea." He grinned at the idea, "Come with me." His voice was dead serious.

Cara listened to the rain. She felt somehow disappointed. She looked out into the darkness and the rain thinking. Could she? Would she live with it? Imam. Fry. Jack. And then the answer was clear, "I canna." Her voice was coated in disbelief.

"Sure you can." His voice was almost downright chipper. "Here I'll make it easy on you." He leans far over and held out a hand.

She felt a calm descend her. She kept her eyes on her right hand that was balanced in the mud in-between her bent knees. This is gonna hurt. Cara thought and slowly shook her head no. To Riddick it looked like defeat.

He smiled as she slowly raised he hand from the mud and took his hand. But she didn't stand. She looked up into his face and he saw a resolve there, "I really canna'." She growled and pitched herself back dragging Riddick with her. She rolled onto her back and used her legs to catch Riddick in the ribs and throw him into the mud behind her. She flipped up into a standing position and turned ready to fight, between him and the skiff.

He skidded in the mud puddle and flipped up just as she did and almost mirrored her fighting pose. He tried to get her to circle but she didn't move. So he waited for her to attack. She had initiated before. But she waited calmly her hands empty of weapons. He pulled his shiv but still she didn't move. What was she doing?

He pushed forward and slashed at her in a downward stabbing motion. She raised bother arms and blocked but fell to one knee. He kept the pressure on her arms and used his other hand to grab for her neck. She crumbled making him loose his balance and she pitched herself forward between his legs, avoiding his grasp and slamming her small hard fingers into the tender skin behind his knees. He grunted and collapsed forward and she used the mud to help her slide away. 

She was up and on his back in a second her arm around his neck. He stabbed back at her, not trying to hurt her, just get her off. She punches his elbow and did something to his wrist. He own hand convulsed out of his control and dropped his shiv. He never dropped a weapon.

Growling he stumbled around and grabbed the harness of her back using his weight he flipped her up and over him slamming her hard into he ground. He grabbed her hand before she could gasp and spin her violently around yanking her in between his legs. Her right hand is pinned across her chest and his right hand keeps it in place while his left goes for her knifes attached to her thighs. He pulls it and her leg shot up catching him in the balls. He grunted and before he can get the blade under her jaw she spins her body so she is on her stomach and pushed with her left hand slipping between his legs again. He tries to yank her back but she uses her legs to stand up. Riddick lets go and rolls forward out of reach, but with her knife.

They stood in the same positions the fight started in. She was even more covered in mud and her hair was whipped across her face but she didn't care as long as it was out of her eyes. She panted still trying to catch her breath and he felt waves of pain every time he moved. Damn, did she know how to kick.

He hefted her knife so she could see it, "You would die for them?”

She smiled and pulled one of her own, "I would' try for them." He made a move toward her and her arm flashed out. The blade didn't even glint in the light it was so quick. It planted itself in the ground he was about to step on. He stopped, "I would also kill for them." She eased out another blade. "No' that I want to, but if you force me. I will' no' hesitate again." She felt her eyes water and grow hot. Please don't step forward Riddick.

He watched her as the rain washed away the mud on both of them. Her face became ever clearer and he pulled off his goggle without moving too much. Sure that she could kill him in a split second. He saw the tears streak down her face but she made no move to hide them. He dropped out of his fighting stance and picked up her knife from the ground. He walked over to her as she eased her own stance. He handed the two weapons to her, “Interesting.”


	17. Chpater 17

Riddick pulled some flash torches from the storage emergency locker on the skiff and Cara picked up her glowing bottle. She pulled off the harness that was still around her torso, the bloody thing had nearly cost her life. Cara swore her heart would burst with joy. He was with her. Everything was right.

"What is that anyway?" Riddick asked her nodding at the bottle.

“Bio'luminescent grubs we found' in the cave." She held it up and he squinted. "Helpful lit'tle buggers." She smiled at him and he just raised an eyebrow at her obvious good mood now.

He grabbed the harness Cara discarded and replaced the flash torches on the back. "You ready?" He tugged at it.

"I'm with ye." And he ran. She kept only two steps behind him and moved when he did. It was like she was chasing him. Which she was but she didn't feel any danger from the predators when Riddick was there. She smiled and the rain picked up. She jumped over a rock and then only ten steps away she saw the familiar boulder that protected their friends.

It was scarred and chipped but it had done its purpose. Cara ran up to it and started to push. She struggled, her boots slipping in the mud. Riddick sighed and used one arm to push above her head. It rolled aside and they both ducked their heads in smiling, almost the same exact expression on their faces.

Jack was there and the look on her face melted Cara's heart, "Never had a doubt!" She gave a huge smile to Riddick.

Riddick looked at Fry and Imam, "Anyone not ready for this?”

Imam stared at him for a second, "There is my God Mr. Riddick.”

They climbed out of the hole and Fry clapped him on the shoulder, "Thanks for coming back."  
And then they ran. Riddick and Cara cut down the pace so everyone could keep up. The two convicts kept Jack in-between themselves. Riddick had the lights on his back, Jack had the half-filled bottle and Imam was at the back with the full one. Fry stuck close to Cara. Puffing Fry asked her, "How'd you get him to come back?”

Cara couldn't keep the smile off her face, "Tender' love and care'." She heard Riddick snort but all talking stopped.

Riddick slowed to a stop and motioned everyone to the side. A few predators had dropped down into the canyon blocking their path. Cara counted five from what she could hear. But they called back and forth to each other and she heard a hard knocking sound as they started fighting one another. Cara moved up to Riddick and peered around the corner. He shook his head and grabbed her hand interlacing her fingers with his own. Cara grabbed Jack's open hand and they created a chain. Riddick's body tensed and then he bolted forward. Cara kept up easily but Jack started to drag a little but she urged the girl on. They waved their lights at the predators and the beasts scattered like cockroaches.

They reached the steep hill and the extra rain made it difficult to climb, "Don't stop! Come on!" Riddick commanded and helped Jack over the edge. He pushed everyone ahead of himself. "Cara you know the way go!" Cara took off trusting Riddick. She led everyone into the settlement, turning around crates and buildings until arriving at the skiff and they took shelter in the light.

Fry gasped, "Everyone on board, Cara prep!" She ushered everyone on and Cara started to prep the skiff. All they had to do was start the engines and they could leave. Cara turned in the pilots chair and saw Jack and Imam panting with Fry outside rising her light to see into the darkness, "Where Riddick!?" Cara yelled.

She jumped over Jack and ran out into the rain back the way they came fast as a shadow, "CARA!" Fry yelled and tore off after her, Cara didn't have any light. She turned the corner and skidded to a stop. She ducked back around and watched. The predator's back was to her. She slid her long blade out and motioned for Fry to stay back when she approached. Cara crouched to see Riddick standing face to face with the monster. She recalled his comment earlier about a blind spot. It moved back and forward and Riddick moved with it. It was as if they swayed to music only they heard. It only came to an end when the predator turned around toward Cara. Riddick took two steps away when another predator dropped right behind him.

Before the original predator could turn fully around to investigate the noise Cara charged swinging her blade. She missed its body but lopped off a good portion of its tail. It screamed and lashed out at her. She barely dodged but felt its claws scratch her thigh, not deep but there. She heard Riddick scream out. Cara pulled her blaster and shot her predator in the mouth twice as it tried to bite her. She threw her gun away, it was empty and turned to help Riddick.

She turned in time to see Riddick pulling his shiv out of the predators gut. It was dead, but Riddick had a nasty leg wound to show for it. And what looked like claw markings on his back. He was in shock trying to stand but falling. Cara and Fry ran over to him.

"Get up! Riddick! We won't leave you!" Fry yelled and she tried to hoist him up. Cara did the same but almost all of Riddick's weight fell on her bad leg. She hissed and they pivoted around and Fry suddenly gasped in pain. Cara's eyes widened as she saw Fry's face, "No." Cara's voice was soft.

A predator was just behind Fry and its wings extended around her. Fry was violently ripped from their grasp and Cara was dragged a few feet before she let go. Both Riddick and Cara watched her get pulled back into the darkness. Cara's breath left her in a shutter and she turned to look at Riddick. Raw emotion covered his face as he watched the space Fry had disappeared into. Cara got up and hopped to his side dragging him upright.

"Not for me." His hoarse whisper sounded in her ear. Cara felt tears in her eyes as they hobbled to the skiff. She bit her lower lip at the strain her body was under trying to support Riddick's weight.

They rounded the bend and there it was, their salvation. Imam ran out and helped Cara get Riddick aboard but the second his foot touched metal he took all his own weight back.

"Fry?" Jack asked in a voice that sounded like a child's. But she was no longer a child, not after all the horror this planet had shown her. Cara just shook her head and sat in the co-pilots seat as Riddick closed the hatch.

They sat there panting for a second as the door closed when Cara heard the clinking of something. "There's so much praying to make up for, I scarcely nowhere to begin." He worried at his beads.

Cara watch Jacks face devoid of tears. As she stared at the ground "I know where I'd start." She glanced at the priest and he started, her expression was that of Riddick's or Cara's. Stone faced, calm, and excepting of death.

Riddick flicked the engines on and the skiff shook with life. He started powering up the thrusters when he thought of something. His lips pressed into a thin line and he powered down the thrusters and began flicking off the flood lights. Plunging the skiff into darkness.

Cara frowned, "What ye doin?" He watched the predators creep out of the night. Walking and flying at the skiff. They began to hear clicking and scratching as they tested the ship.

"Can we just get the hell out of her now!?" Jack whispered to Riddick.

He turned to look at her. "We can't leave." A predator jumped onto the front of the skiff, just in front of the cockpit. Jack gasped and Cara jumped. Riddick turned back around his eyes flashing as he watched it. "Without saying good night." He powered up the thrusters and Cara smiled as he burned all those mother fuckers to hell. He projected them into the air slamming into countless numbers of the creatures until they popped out of the clear side and gunned it into the atmosphere and then space.

Cara finally breathed clearly. The black emptiness of space was beautiful. She closed her eyes and let her brain go silent. Not hyper aware of her surroundings. Her body immediately called for her attention. She had numerous scrapes and bruises that needed attention. She glanced around the skiff. If memory served right there was a standard first aid kit under one of the passenger seats. She got up and dragged herself over. Imam had his eyes closed and his lips moved silently. Jack watched her as she pulled out the white and red case.

Cara glanced at Jack, "Ye need any?" Jack shook her head and smiled at Cara. Jack then realized how tired she was. She curled up in a tight little ball and Imam, after a few minutes, began to drift even as he prayed.

Cara cracked the case and let out a squeal of delight. Riddick glanced over as she pulled out a rubber band. Using nimble fingers she pulled the rats nest she called hair into a pony tail that trailed down to her shoulder blades.

With her hair up Riddick saw she had three stud piercings her ears. His mind immediately wondered if she had any more.

As he watched her she cleaned her hands with a sterilization pad from the kit then turned to him pulling out another disinfectant pad and burn cream. She scooted close to his shoulder and began treating his wounds.

Cara started with his shoulder so he could get used to her touching him. Well…it was more for her to get used to touching him. She finished quickly and admired her handy work. A clean white patch lay over the burn. Her eyes met his, he had watched her intently the entire time.

"Turn?" Cara whispered. She kept quiet for Jack and Imam's sake but also because she felt that this had turned into a private moment between her and Riddick. She felt a slight blush and wished she had left her hair down, to hide behind.

He turned and offered her his back. She braced herself and she gripped the edge of his shirt. She lifted it up and his hands took it from her. He pulled it over his head and she tried not to drool as his well-muscled back came into view. He skin was golden and sun kissed with thick muscles running up the sides of his spine. His shoulders were well developed and firm to the touch. But the amazing sight was marred by the scratch marks that covered his left shoulder blade and some shorter scratches just above his right hip. They still welled with blood and she couldn't help the hiss at the angry red skin surrounded the wounds. She quickly disinfected and cleaned the wounds and determined none of them needed stitches. She taped the gauze pack over the wounds and by the time she was finished the bleeding had stopped completely.

"Let's take a look at tha' leg." Cara told him she dug around in the box and found the wicked curved needle used for sewing human bodies and some thread. She read the packet on the thread and it informed her that after about three weeks the thread would disintegrate no need to remove them. She sterilized the needle and heard a slight rustling she turned to see Riddick standing as he unbuttoned his pants. She felt her lips part at the image in front of her. Riddick shirtless with his pants open around his narrow hips. His chest was full and wide and his abs were lean but it was his hip bones that got her. They jutted out creating a perfect angle leading to his crotch. The light from the ship board only made how ripped Riddick was all the more apparent in the dim light.

Cara glanced away and forced herself to thread the needle and not think about how Riddick was lowering his pant so she could get a clean look at his leg. Cara certainly did not notice that Riddick preferred boxer briefs. Or that he let them ride low on his hips. He sat down and swiveled towards her and she concentrated on his leg wound. She cleaned out any mud and debris that may have found its way into the bleeding scrap, and then she disinfected it thoroughly. With a pair of tweezers she let the needle piece his skin and pop out on the other side of the wound. He didn't even twitch. She made quick neat work of the wound and was done in less than three minutes. She cleaned it again and then had him lift his leg so she could use the strip of gauze instead of the patch.

She leaned back and he stood. Her eyes widened when she realized that his crotch was at eye level with her. Cara did not notice the bulge that was Riddick, nope, or how big it was, not at all. She busied her hands trying to straighten the aid kit and he chuckled. She was slightly angry, he was teasing her on purpose. He pulled and buttoned his pants up but just left the shirt.

"You turn." His voice surprised her. For some reason she forgot how it affected her. A shiver ran down her spin and she offered up her left arm, the one with the deep wound. His hands were calloused but surprisingly gentle. He undid the makeshift wrapping and hissed at the gore underneath. New blood, dried blood, mud, dirt, and who knows what else was in the wound. He got to work cleaning. At one point he had to gap the cut open to make sure all the dirt and foreign objects were out. He glanced at her face. She was watching her arm as he poked and prodded while nibbling her bottom lip. He got distracted by that for a second.

He sterilized the needle and quickly treaded it. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second and let him do the first few stitches and then relaxed, getting used to the pinch, pull, and then the inevitable tugging. He finished but her skin felt tight around the wound. It would be hard not to pull at the stitches in a place like that. He disinfected again and wrapped the strip gauze around her arm. It didn't take much, he saw her arm was small but it was all wiry muscle.

"Turn." He grunted out. Slowly a little smile played across Cara's face. Her hands came up the sheath she was wearing for her guns and back long blade. She eased it off her shoulders feeling Riddick's eyes on her. She tossed them aside and turned in her seat, waiting. His fingers hooked the light cotton top and slowly lifted, once high enough Cara reached behind her and pulled it over her head. She let it fall into her lap and waited with her head bowed to see what he would do. Cara knew her back must be a mess though, maybe not something she should flaunt. All the rolling and the fall in the rain had really done a number. She had dark bruises all along the top of her shoulders and some scraps and an actual pebble in her shoulder blade.

"You a mess Car." His voice gravely and full of an emotion she couldn't read. He cleaned her back and he patched her up. His fingertips at the end ran down her spine lightly. He pulled away and said "Let's take a look at that leg.”

Cara stood and turned. She thought she heard him draw a breath and watched as his eyes traveled her body. Once his eyes made it to her hands she undid the sheaths she had balanced around her rounded hips. She let them slip to the ground and she popped the button to her pants and pulled them down to her knees.

Riddick couldn't keep his eyes from roaming. She had the body of a lean runner and a gymnast combined. He wanted to bury his face in her shoulder and drag her against his body. When her hand pushed her cargo pant away he fought the urge to swallow at the sight of her tight plain black cotton panties.

She sat back down and propped her legs up so he would have better access to her wounds.  
Riddick shook himself, yes right wounds. She had three semi deep scratches on her leg but he didn't think they needed stitches. He cleaned them, disinfected, and bound them. She stood when he was done and pulled her cargo pants back up around her hips. Riddick grabbed her hips and dragged her toward him. He pressed his face gently to her stomach and her hands went to his shoulders.

"Riddick?" Her voice was slightly breathy.

He glanced up at her and gave her a half smile. "We should get some sleep.”

AGH! He did no' just say that! Cara screamed in her head. But she stepped back and he reached for his shirt. It was over his head when she made the decision. She crawled onto his lap and straddled him and he yanked his shirt down looking at her slightly startled. She cradled his head and dropped her lips to his. Barely a centimeter away she said, "Wha' about' me good night' kiss?" She paused and forced him to close the gap.

He crushed her to him, forcing her body roughly against his own. One hand traveled from her back down her bare spine to curl around her hip and his thumb made little circles in the hallow of her hip. His kiss was deep and possessing, it did the most tingly things to her body. He pulled away slightly and nibbled at her lower lip. Her breath hitched and she let her fingers trail across his arms, feather light. She felt him shiver under her when she added nails to the caress. Without thought she grinded against him and his hands tightened on her.

She broke their kiss. She watched him and he looked up at her slightly confused. She smiled down at him and removed herself from his lap. For a second his hand defied his command to let her go but held onto her. She slipped back into her seat and pulled on her shirt. "Good night'!" She smiled at him slyly and curled up.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18  
Cara awoke to the sounds of clicking and a small beep. She opened her eyes slowly and saw that her chair had swiveled so she faced Riddick. He was looking intently at the screen in front of him, a furrow between his eyes. 

"Trouble'?" Cara pitched her voice softly not wanting to alert the others. She glanced back and both still slumbered. "How long have' I been' out'?" 

"Six hours and no trouble just an interesting opportunity." He said. Riddick leaned back in his chair completely relaxed and placed his fingertips together as he thought. 

Cara stood and leaned over his chair balancing against the arm. She stared at the info reading on the computer. "A passenger' ship?" She sounded hopeful. 

"Look again." Riddick commanded. 

Cara turned and read the semantics of the ship. Extensive Cryogentic storage units. Flight deck, housing over five smaller transport ships. Small living quarters. Large sections of the ship were undesignated and one even read 'live cargo'. "This looks like' some luxury liner'..." She read on, "But there seems ta' be extensive firepower' for such a' expensive beast'." 

"Conclusion?" Riddick asked. 

Cara shook her head not liking the look or read of it, "Merc' ship." Riddick nodded his agreement. She watched him think for a minute and then he turned and watched her. She frowned trying to think what he was thinking. He drummed his fingers. They were on a direct line for the Merc ship. He wasn't changing courses. A little shit eating grin crossed his face as he watched her piece it together. "So. I suppose' it's ye normal habit' to steal things tha' aren't yours?" 

He chuckled recalling one of their first encounters. He looked back at the description, "It'll be fun." He read through it silently. "We just take one of the smaller ships." 

"Wha' about Imam and lit'tle bit?" She jerked her head at them. 

He turned and watched them for a second. "It's best if they don't know. It'll be a lot of killing. Better to not let them know we chose it." He deleted the info off the computer and glanced at Cara. "We are still four hours away, get some sleep. I'm gonna need you at your prim." 

Cara smiled at him, "Time ta' have' some real fun." She grinned and it was downright territorial. 

—————

Cara was startled awake by a loud cracking sound. She sat up in her seat to see a huge ship alongside their tiny skiff. The ship itself was a first class civilian transport ship which accounted for all the cryogentic tech but the additions to the ship made it a battle ship. One glance and Cara could tell they may have miscalculated. Whoever ran this operation had credit and a lot of it. The ship called Kublai Khan was clean and shiny, having never come up against an enemy they couldn't defeat. The extra bronze plating on the side of the ship and front caught Cara's eyes. She wondered if it was real. Then she noticed the grappling hook punch through their wing, "Did those bastards just' shoot' us with a graplin' hook!?" 

Riddick just turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. He tried to turn off the blinking warning lights, they were giving him a headache. Cara noticed he had at one point covered his eyes again in those damn goggles. Jack and Imam made noise behind them as the skiff reported to them, "Hull breach contained. Engines operating at one hundred and seventy percent capacity." Riddick flicks a few switches as he tries to turn off the annoying auto mated voice. After a few more button presses the computer responds to the commands Riddick plugged in without realizing, "Engine and hull failure imminent under current parameters." He frowns but it's not a bad thing he supposes. This will insure that Imam and Jack go along with the plan of stealing another ship. 

Imam is worrying at his beads and Jack is biting at her thumb nail in nervousness. Cara sits calmly fingering her blades as they get reeled in like a fish on the line. The grappling hook really did a number on their poor skiff. They are pulled very close to the clean ship and Cara notices a set of bay doors opening. It felt like they were being swallowed. 

The computer calls out, "Critical systems failure in five seconds. Four seconds. Three seconds." Riddick tenses as the doors grow wider. "Two seconds. One second." The little skiff dies. They get plunged into darkness and the only air left the craft is in the cabin. 

The emergency communications unit kicks in and they hear a voice over the line, "Unidentified craft, state your purpose and contents." The voice is a little nasally and the pronunciations very precise. As if his jaw was locked in place and it required him to pay special attention to his constants. 

Cara looks at Riddick and wonders what he will do. All these high end Merc ships have voice ID systems, they cross reference them with all the convict lists in the Verse. And since Riddick was kind of high profile his voice would surely be on file. Cara wasn't so worried about herself. By the time they get a hit off her voice she would be long gone. 

The voice comes again, more impatient, "Unidentified craft, state your purpose and contents." 

Cara watched him smirk, "Name's Johns. My ship got scrapped on a transport run. The only other survivors from the whole mess are with me. Outside of that we got nothing." He spoke clearly and loudly, not trying to disguise his voice at all. 

The voice stops for a second but then asks, "Tell me, Mr. Johns, what brings you to this lonely corner of space?" 

Riddick played his ruse almost as if he was bored. "I'm a bounty hunter." 

The voice sounds amused "Then it appears we have something in common." His voice cuts out and the skiff is gliding gently into the open hanger. 

Jack nervously watches Cara and Riddick, "They're reelin' us in!" 

The little skiff disappears into the Kubla Khan with a finality as its clanging doors close over them. The skiff floats in zero gravity for a moment and then large docking mounts emerge from the walls. The skiff rattles frighteningly from the strength of the suction holding them in place, even if the skiff had power it would never be able to move with the clamps attached. 

Riddick and Cara examine the hanger. "They'll come at us in Zero G. It's their familiar fighting grounds." 

Cara nodded. She pointed to the main doors. "They'll have ta' be enterin' there. Spread out as a text' book ambush st'yle. All gunners posted there and there." She gestured absently, knowing he already knew all this, but letting him know that she did as well was her point. "An' I'ma' guessin' a twelve men team." 

He nodded his agreement. "I go left, you right?" It was her turn to agree. He stood and turned to Imam and Jack. "Things are gonna get hairy. Stay hidden and listen to what I or Cara say, no questions." Their eyes widened but they agreed. 

He pulled a lighter out of his pocket, when he acquired it Cara did not know but he rummaged in the skiff until he found the blow torch used to fix the wings. He light it as Cara turned all the communications off and directed the power toward the fire sensors. 

Jack watched Riddick with his torch, "No offense, but I don't think that's gonna cut it against whatever it is that's coming for us." 

Riddick just smirked hand held the fire just under the detector. Imam watched in rapt attention at the cleverness of the action. In Zero G the foam would spread but not disintegrate as rapidly providing some cover for the survivors in the skiff. 

Cara walked up to the door and held onto one of the handles waiting. "I still donna think this is gonna work." She grumbled. 

Riddick still held the flame, "Where's your imagination." 

"Oi. I still got it, this is just' loony." she grumbled.

He laughed at her and then commanded, "Hold your breath."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Chapter 19 

Cara counted away the seconds. It was eerily quiet in the foam. It stifled all sounds and it was cold to touch but she just held onto the handle waiting for the door smith to open it. If Cara had to describe the extinguishing foam in one word it would be disgusting. It slimed against her skin and oozed into her clothing making her feel damp and clammy.

Cara being next to the door heard the clicking and the loud clang from the metal beside her. If her eyes were open she would have rolled them. They didn't care about stealth but the thief in her said that one always wanted to keep the element of surprise. 

The door dropped open and Cara let go of the handle as she got sucked out by the foam she couldn't help but wonder if she forced to much foam to come out. She grabbed the side of the skiff and popped out watching it expand and enclose a few of the mercs. 

She took a quick look at the line up her and Riddick were facing. The main gunner's line was located on the ledge just in front of the foam, not a good place to be. There were at least four lined up there. The push crew, the mercs at the front, were the mercs who ended up in the foam, four there. And the other four were in a large semi-circle above floating in the air. But there was an extra, Cara frowned when she saw him. 

He stood apart from the siege his arms clasped behind his back. He was large, bigger than Riddick and had a cold look about him. His black hair was a tad long but pushed back out of his face and his eyes were hidden by a pair of brass and green sunglasses. The clothing he wore looked to be some type of lab coat with brass accents at the waist, showing off his trim waist, and at his arms, showing off how well muscled they were. His expression was cold and his jaw line looked clenched as he watched over his crew. He could have been handsome but without seeing his eyes Cara withheld her judgment till later. 

The extinguishing foam had exploded from the skiff creating a large mass that just floated in the zero g. She smiled evilly and took a breath as she slide through the foam like a shark in water. Heading toward one of the push crew. 

"Extinguishing foam?" Someone questioned. 

"FALL BACK, everyone fall back." It was the intercom voice, he was leading this crew, the cold man. Cara felt movement in front of her and dragged one of the fatter mercs back into the foam and caressed her hand over his body until she found his neck. She slit his throat and blood expanded outwards dying the foam red. She heard three other deaths cried in close proximity to the foam and assumed Riddick. 

Cara reached along her dead merc's body and found a hand held gun. She allowed a smile to cross her face. She holstered it, it wasn't a perfect fit and it would catch when she pulled it but it was better than nothing. 

Cara heard gunfire and popped out of the bottom side of the defense foam. She pulled her gun and wasted four bullets to get the shooter and then was forced back inside as the mercs began to shoot at her. Wha' terible' shots ye' are! 

But the shooting continued and Cara realized Riddick had cut the harpoon cord and slingshot himself out of the mess. Cara kicked herself away from the ship hard and she flew like and arrow, off the right side of the ship. She landed on the back of a Merc who was turned toward Riddick, she slit his throat quietly and pushed off him to the next. She did the same to this one and realized he had armor, she looped on of her legs in his and looked for Riddick. He was taking on the main gunner section and Cara saw them almost point blank firing at him, she provided cover fire as she sailed through the air with her merc shield. The force of the gun had her back against the side of the hanger. She was out of bullets and threw it away. 

The other two hanging in the air quickly noticed their friends were dead and started firing at her. The body she was attached to took most of the damage thankfully. Cara glanced out and saw Riddick running up the wall, he knocked out one floating guard and used him as a shield two others from the firing line had survived their run in with Riddick, with only bloody faces and broken bones to show for it. 

Cara saw the other floating merc turn toward Riddick with a gun and Cara pulled a throwing knife and it found itself into the merc's eye. Riddick was still pinned down as the last two mercs took turns with suppression fire. 

Cara saw a flash of white and her attention was diverted to the large man sailing through the air up to the ceiling then shooting down quickly. Jack burst from the foam and gasped for breath. The cold man's heel caught her in the shoulder blade kicking her from the safety of the foam. Cara threw another blade and followed it two seconds later. She caught the man in the right shoulder with the throwing knife and he spin around to address the threat. Cara spin in the air and slammed a high flying kick to his face, he had turned right into it. He grunted and stumbled away. He glasses falling into the air. 

Cara landed in a crouch with Jack behind her and pulled her long blade from her back ready to charge forward. The cold man was faster though. He pulled a large gun from under his coat and pointed it at Cara. Who was frowning. She never saw a gun like his. It had a long blade, Cara would almost call it a sword, attached to the underside of the gun and it ran out straight down along the mussel. And it was pointed right at her head. 

"I think not." He held her pinned down with that damn gun. He turned to look at Riddick who had somehow managed to kill one gunner and the other was on ground level pinned by Riddick ready to get shanked in the face. "What do you say?" He addressed to Riddick. 

Cara gritted her teeth, not liking being used against Riddick. "Call off your lap dog, before his trying to impress you gets him killed." Riddick said in his deep rumbly voice. Instead of addressing the cold man he looked up to the main doors of the hanger. 

Cara glanced up and saw a white robbed figure standing there. "Am I so obvious?" Came the cultured response. The voice belonged to a female and was smooth and upper crust. 

The merc Riddick held down tried with renewed vigor to get away to no avail, Riddick ignored him, "Call it what you want, but tell him to stand down, now." He glances over at Cara and she raises an eyebrow at him. He shakes his head no. She sighs and slowly stands to her full height. The cold man fallows her movements with his gun. Cara smiles at him and watches his eyes. They are a deep green, not clear like a gem stone but murky like the ocean can be. Cara finds herself liking what she sees. 

"You'll have to excuse Junner's excitement." Her hood parted and exposed a tall powerful woman. The hood dropped back around an angular face that was all cheek bones and sharp edges. If a human could look like a weapon Cara though this women looked like a tempered blade used for killing. Her revealing and alluring outfit exhibited her tiny waist and wide hips but also showed that she was a warrior. Her white long hair was swept back from her face and the color of her hair made her look even more sever. Her outfit like Junner's had hints of brass, but where his showcased his strength, she showcased her sexuality. The small little brass emblem in the hallow of her hips angled down in-between her legs and the strip of brass between her breasts drew attention to how plump and perky she was. Cara thought that the term seductress must have come from this women standing and addressing Riddick, "It sometimes makes him a touch... quick." Cara picked up a slight accent to her voice but couldn't place it. But Cara did notice that it made her want to listen more to her. "Though I can't say I blame him. You see, he's just heard so much about you, Riddick." Riddick tensed a little. "Yes, I know your name." Her earring tinkled as she tossed her head. But on closer inspection Cara saw the women had augments, surgically implanted enhancements to the human body. Mostly to her ears it looked like but her arms showed hints as well. The women continued, "Quite a bit more about you, I think." 

Cara couldn't see Riddick's face as he addressed her but she heard how quiet and menacing his voice was. "Careful. You may find what you're digging for." 

"I'm willing to share, of course..." She gestured grandly all around her. "...but I must ask that you surrender your weapon." She glanced around, "Before any more of my apparently overpaid associates come to an untimely end." She smiled at him and Cara noticed her face was stiff. Almost like latex plastic. She placed a hand on her hips and angled her body showing off her curves. 

"Mmmm. Not gonna happen." Riddick mimicked her body language, in his own way, making fun of her. Cara couldn't help the little giggle that escaped her. 

The seductress then turned her attention to Cara. In her eyes Cara was beautiful in a way as well. Covering in blood and grim Cara's eyes seemed to glow as she giggled. Her hair was still pulled back showing off the curve of her neck that led down to her trim body. And she noticed how small Cara seemed to be standing next to Junner the way she was, but showed no fear. Interesting. 

"My dear..." the women addressed Cara, "My name is Antonia Chillingsworth and this is my compatriot Junner." She introduced. 

Cara frowned for a second. Was it just her or did Chillingsworth seem to be eating Cara up with her eyes? "Me names Cara." Cara ducked her head in greeting and Chillingsworth's face lit up like a Christmas tree. 

"May I ask as to why you are traveling together?" She gestured to Riddick and finally Jack. 

Cara stayed silent then slowly a plan formed. Cara sheathed her blade silently, Chillingsworth noted that it must have taken practice, or she just used it that often, she was willing to bet on the latter. Cara continued, "Well, with' him', I get to kill more people." Cara shrugged, "It's fun I guess." 

Chillingsworth looked down right charmed by her. She smiles at Cara like she just found something interesting to play with. Cara forced herself to relax as Riddick watched them both. "It would be a shame to shoot her." Chillingsworth said to Junner. He switched his target to Jack instead. 

Shite. Cara thought. 

"Still won't disarm Riddick?" She turned back to him, it was never wise to get distracted when Riddick was in the room. He didn't move. She signals to Junner with a sweep of her arm and he turns his attention back to Jack. Cara watches him squeezes the trigger a hair tighter. Jack shakes in fear and squeezes her eyes closed. 

But Riddick breaks, "The girl is nothing to me." 

Chillingsworth chuckles "Then enlighten me. Why would a stone-cold killer such as yourself go to all the trouble of keeping the likes of her alive? Unless, of course, you've grown attached." 

Cara saw Imam pop out of the foam and breath some air, but also to see what was happening. Riddick addressed Chillingsworth, "She's a cover story, nothing more. You shoot her now, and you'll be saving me the trouble.”

Cara out right laughed, "Donna go belivin' him, Miss. He cares for the wee' girl." Chillingsworth glanced at her, "So quick to sell out your friends?" 

"I donna take well to bein' killed. I see a big bad stronger than me self I tend to find me self-aligned with' them'." She shrugged, "Plus..." Cara glanced around. "Seems to me ye could have some open spaces on your payroll." She smiled charmingly at Chillingsworth. 

At Chillingsworth signal again Junner squeezed down on the trigger. Jack whimpered and tears squeezed their way out of her eyes. Riddick grunted in frustration, stood with his boot on the merc's neck and threw his shiv directly at Cara's eye.

Cara caught it easily, "Tha' was no' nice." She blew a kiss at him. 

Junner got Imam and Jack to line up beside Riddick and Cara he had lined up as well but didn't point the gun at her as much. 

Chillingsworth turned smiling as she watched Riddick glare at Cara. She walked away as she spoke, "Maybe I know more about you than you do yourself."


End file.
